


Daughter of Shinigami

by O Hakubi (Koah)



Category: Tsukihime
Genre: Future Fic, Gen, I Wrote This When I Was Deep In Depression And Boy Does It Show, Implied/Referenced Incest, Kid Fic, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Next Generation, Original Character-centric, Paranoid Fiction, Possibly Canon Divergent At Some Point, Possibly Unrequited Love, Writing Work On This Began Way Before All of Tsukihime's Lore Was Translated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-02
Updated: 2013-02-02
Packaged: 2018-11-04 02:49:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 61,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10981791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koah/pseuds/O%20Hakubi
Summary: The chronicles of Satsuki Arima, daughter of Shiki and Arcueid. One would assume that things would be happily ever after, but considering who her parents are, you don't think that life would go without incident for her, would you?





	1. Chapter 1

"You're all serious tonight, Shiki. Is something wrong?"

Arcueid looked up from her seat on the swingset at Shiki who was pacing nervously in front of her.

"...Arcueid, how long have we known each other?"

"About two years now, I suppose. Why?"

Shiki raised his head, gazing up into the night sky. "It seems like only yesterday that we first met..." he started, hoping that Arcueid wouldn't bring up the fact that upon meeting each other for the first time Shiki sliced her into seventeen bloody chunks. She didn't, much to his relief, and he continued. "...and even after everything we've been through - Roa, Nero, Walachia... I wouldn't trade the time I was with you for anything." Turning to meet Arcueid's questioning gaze, Shiki took a few slow strides towards her. "The days I've been with you have been the happiest days of my life. You mean the world to me, Arcueid. Which is why..." He paused and took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. "Which is why I must ask you one question."

Shiki reached into his pocket and pulled out a small purple velvet-covered box. "I know it isn't much, but... Arcueid Brunestud..."

He knelt down before her and opened the box, revealing a simple silver ring.

"Will you marry me?"

Across the street, a lone figure cloaked in blue leapt off the top of a lamppost and disappeared into the night.

\---

Ciel haphazardly tossed an armful of curry-flavored Cup-O-Ramens into a cardboard box. Grabbing a nearby roll of tape, she yanked off a strip and sealed the box, violently tearing off the rest of the roll. She was, needless to say, still quite upset at the events she witnessed two nights earlier: What was supposed to be the parting glimpse of another city saved from the touch of the damned turned into something much less satisfying. Shoving the box aside, she pulled another box from the stack on the floor and continued packing.

"The minute I turn my back that... that _vampire_ has him in her clutches. I can't believe I actually trusted her! Of course foolish me believes that he's any different from the rest of his oversexed male friends." She seethed, tightly clutching a small glass flask of curry powder. "Damn you, Shiki!"

Ciel slammed the flask down onto the counter for emphasis, causing the fragile container to crack and break apart in her hand. Cursing, she dropped what remained on the counter, clutched her wrist and hissed in pain, the curry powder doing a fine job of burning the cuts in her palm.

It was around this time that there was a knock on the door.

"Yes, I'm coming," she snapped. Storming over to the door, she flung it open, scowling. "What do you- oh, Shiki!"

"Good morning, Ciel. I just came by to see-" He looked down. "Your hand!"

"What?" She glanced down. "Oh, it's nothing. One of the containers broke, that's all. I'm all right." She winced as the burning sensation intensified. "Really."

Shiki looked at her, then took her by the wrist and lead her inside. "Come on, let me take care of that for you. You don't want it getting infected, you know."

\---

"So," Shiki began, pulling the last fragment of crimson-stained glass out of Ciel's palm with a pair of tweezers. "you're going to be heading back to the Vatican soon, I take it."

"Yes. I've no reason to stay here any longer than I have to."

"You'll keep in touch, right?"

"Perhaps."

Silence.

"...is something wrong?"

"No."

More silence. Shiki dabbed at Ciel's cuts with a cotton ball before tossing it into the garbage.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. After all, it isn't as if I discovered that you proposed to the very thing I'm trying to rid the world of."

"What?!"

"You heard me!" she said loudly, her anger rising. "What on earth were you thinking when you decided to spend the rest of your life with that woman?" She looked up, as if having an epiphany. "Oh, that's right! Maybe you were thinking about how nice it would be to still be sleeping with someone who has the body of a twenty-one-year-old when you're old and gray!"

"Ciel."

"Assuming of course she even _lets_ you grow old like a normal human being and doesn't turn you into a Dead Apostle the moment you left on your honeymoon!"

"Ciel!"

"But since you're obviously thinking with your genitals like every _other_ man in existence, all you saw was a carefree life with a woman who cooks, cleans and fucks like a tiger!"

"It's not-"

"Get OUT!" she screamed, pushing him into the hallway.

"It's not like that! If you let me explain-"

"Explain?! What's to explain?"

"Ciel, I stopped by to say goodbye-"

"Goodbye," she deadpanned, brushing past him and storming down the hallway.

Shiki continued. "...and to apologize for not being around to see you off when you go back home."

Ciel stopped dead in her tracks, slowly turning to face him. "What?"

"Arcueid and I are moving up north in a day's time." He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "We haven't found a place yet, but things will probably work themselves out in the end."

"What about your sister?"

"She's the reason why we're moving. I told Akiha about my intentions to marry Arcueid and she didn't take it too well. It would probably be for the better if we kept our distance from each other."

Ciel could feel her anger receding, despite her wishes. "She didn't attack you, did she?"

"No. When I told her she said I had to decide between Arcueid and the Tohno family. In choosing one I would have to abandon the other."

"...and you chose her?"

He nodded. She stared at him for a few seconds, aghast, before speaking.

"You mean to tell me," Ciel started, "that you were willing to give up everything you had - including your family name - for _her?_ "

"Yes."

"Why??" she blurted out.

Shiki answered softly, "...because I love her."

Ciel continued to stare at him, a mixture of shock and confusion on her face, before he spoke again, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry about this. Don't worry, I'll find my way out." With that, he slowly headed for the front door. Sliding it open, he stepped outside and was about to close it when he heard Ciel's hurried footsteps approaching him.

"Shiki."

"Yes?" he replied, turning back.

"I'm... I'm sorry for the way I reacted," she said, averting her eyes downwards.

"It's all right. I understand how you feel about her."

And how I feel about you, she mentally added. "...and... though I may not approve of your union," she continued, looking up. "I will still pray that your marriage is a happy one."

He smiled. "Thank you, Ciel." Stepping outside, he added, "you _will_ keep in touch, right?"

"Yes. Yes, of course."

"Great. Goodbye, Ciel."

"Wait, Shiki." He paused, looking at her quizzically. "If I may request one last thing before you depart."

"All right."

Her voice lowered. "Kiss me."

He stared at her for a moment. "...Ciel, I'm-"

"I know. I understand that you love her, and that nothing I can say or do will change that. But..." She wrung her hands. "But before you and Arcueid are wed, just once, I want to-"

Ciel's words were cut short as Shiki pulled her forward and pressed his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly, returning his kiss in kind. Their embrace lingered on for what seemed like ages before they finally separated, her head swimming with emotion.

He smiled warmly at her, stepping back. "Goodbye, Ciel."

"Farewell, Shiki," she replied, dazed.

She stood in the doorway watching him as he walked down the road, turning and waving to her just before rounding the corner. Once he was out of sight she pulled the door shut, leaning up against it for support. As tears began rolling down her cheeks she slowly slid to the floor, sobbing.

"Damn you, Shiki..."

\---  
"Arima residence."

"Good day, Master Shiki."

"Hisui?!"

"Is something wrong, Master Shiki?"

"No, no... it's just that I was surprised to hear from you, that's all."

"I am calling you to see if you and Miss Arcueid are well. Am I correct in assuming that you have found suitable accommodations?"

"We're doing fine, thanks for asking. Yeah, right now we're living in an apartment complex. I've been working as a part-time assistant - more like a bodyguard, really - for the head of the Sabaki law firm, and Arcueid's... well, she's doing something."

"Master Shiki, if I may be so forward as to ask what sort of occupation she is holding?"

"She won't say. She's assured me that it isn't illegal, though, and I trust her. Whatever it is, she's earning quite a bit of money for only a few hours of work a week."

\---

Rin whistled in appreciation. "Look at her. If I weren't so good-looking I'd almost feel jealous."

Taking a sip from her soda, Rin continued reading the magazine she found lying on the floor in Shirou's house. Granted, it was lying on the floor under a futon, but it was still on the floor. Practically in the open, even. So it couldn't be helped if someone just came along, picked it up and started reading it, right? Right.

"I'd still love to know how she fit those things into that outfit," she remarked. "It looks like it would be a tight fit for Saber." Thoughtfully, she added, "come to think of it, Saber wouldn't look that bad in it..."

"It's not my colour."

Rin blinked. Slowly turning around, she saw a mystified Shirou and an impassive-looking yet clearly irate Saber standing in the doorway. Thinking fast, she leapt to her feet and angrily waved the magazine in Shirou's face. "How dare you keep this filthy, disgusting, misogynistic trash lying around your house! Have you no shame?"

"...and how dare you enter Master's house without his permission and read it," Saber calmly replied.

"Only so I could know just how filthy, disgusting and misogynistic it really was!" She folded her arms across her chest and snorted. "Honestly Shirou, I used to think so highly of you, and now-"

"This took you fifteen minutes?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"It took you fifteen minutes to determine that you were offended by it?"

"...you were standing behind me for fifteen minutes?"

Saber nodded.

"Yeah, well... uh..." Pointing to something behind Saber and Shirou, she shouted, "look out! It's Berserker!" before running past them and out the front door. The two stood there for a moment before Shirou spoke.

"She does know that we didn't turn around, right?"

\---

"It's a little rough, but we're making ends meet. So... how's-"

"Hey Hisui, it's Shiki, right? Let me talk to him."

"Hi Kohaku."

"Hey Master Shiki! So how're you and the Missus? Have any kids yet?"

"Well, not yet, but-"

"'Not yet?' So you're planning on it, eh? Hey, if you need any help taking care of your kids Hisui and I would be more than happy to give you a hand."

"Thank you for your offer, Kohaku, but Akiha needs you more than I. Speaking of which, I was about to ask how she was doing."

"Well, after you left Miss Akiha tried her best to make it seem like she didn't regret what happened, but it's pretty obvious that what happened between you two was eating her up inside."

"...I see."

"She's doing much better nowadays, though. She's going out all the time with that one girl, Miss... Sero? Zeon?"

"Akira Seo?"

"Yeah, her! Anyway, they've been hanging out with each other more often these days and it's been doing her a world of good. A little social interaction does wonders, you know."

\---

"Ah, Akiha-"

"That's _Mistress_ to you."

"Mistress, could you please untie me? I know I've been a naughty girl and all but I really need to use the bathroom, okay?"

\---

"That's a relief. Anyway, it's been nice talking to you two again."

"Likewise... and hey, if you have any trouble with your kid or 'performing' for Arcueid, just give me a call and I'll hook you up, okay?"

"Thanks... I think..."

\---

Swallowing on a dry throat, the new assistant stood in front of the door leading to the office of Hideto Toyowara, head of the Toyowara Foundation. Only three weeks into his career and here he was, about to meet face-to-face with the head honcho himself. Though what he was doing at the moment amounted to little more than a courier job for Mr. Toyowara, he still hoped to make a good first impression.

"Better get this over with," he mumbled to himself, and knocked on the door.

"Enter," a deep voice boomed.

He opened the door and stepped into the office, immediately awestruck by the room's opulence: Fine mahogany bookshelves filled with books on law, business and military strategy spanned the entirety of one wall, with the other wall being home to framed diplomas, awards, photographs and certificates, and a stand which held several katana which looked to be centuries old. The door to the office was flanked by two maroon couches, with a svelte raven-haired woman in a fashionable violet dress lounging on the one to his left. In front of him sat a massive desk, home to a flat-screen PC monitor, a flask of brandy and several stacks of paper.

Behind that desk was Hideto Toyowara, who shot a stern glare at the aide before going back to writing on a legal pad. Though in his sixties - and rapidly losing his hair - he was still in better shape than most men thirty years his younger. This, combined with his chiseled, almost angular facial features, gave him a rather imposing presence of which the young man was feeling the full brunt.

"Well?" he said gruffly. "Come out with it."

Composing himself, the aide bowed deeply before speaking. "There's some new information regarding the Toyowara clan's distant relatives," he said.

"Did they finally discover who murdered them?"

"No, but... they did manage to find a survivor."

Hideto's brow furrowed briefly, belying his surprise. He set his pen aside, directing his full attention towards the aide. "A survivor?"

"Yes, sir."

He looked pointedly at the manila folder in the young man's grasp. "I take it that contains the information on him, or her?"

"Yes, sir."

"Bring it here."

He obediently strode to the desk and handed it to Hideto, who opened it and began sifting through the various reports and surveillance photos. Without looking up he intoned, "thank you. You may leave."

The young man bowed once again and made a dignified yet hasty exit.

As Hideto read through the reports the woman stood up and made her way over to his side, gingerly perching on the edge of his desk. "With the way you obsess over them I'm surprised that you haven't changed your name," she said with a wry smirk.

"Don't be ridiculous. They were the ones who married into our family." He shuffled through the photos, then tossed the folder onto his desk and leaned back in his chair, irritation evident in his expression. "...for all the good it did. The one remaining member of my ancestor's clan and he turns out to be male. Married, no less. Even if I did have one of them take her out of the picture there would be none who could bear his child and continue the bloodline." He scoffed. "Four sons, and they're all useless."

"Not all of them, dearest." The woman reached out a slender hand and picked up one of the photos that spilled out of the folder. "You forget that your eldest is wed as well."

"What good is he?"

"Though you may not be able to have a grand-child, a great-grand-child is not out of the question."

Hideto drummed his fingers on the desk as he pondered his wife's statement. "A possibility. Assuming of course that he decides to sire a child with this... foreigner."

"He will."

"What makes you so certain?"

She laughed. "It's a simple enough matter to know how a young man's mind works... and besides..." Standing up, she placed the photograph back on the desk and slinked towards the door. Pulling it open, she continued. "The photographer caught them... shall we say, 'in the act?'"

Hideto reached out and picked up the photograph in question. "So he did," he said matter-of-factly.

"He almost looks like you when you were that age, dearest..." she purred, as the office door slowly swung closed. Smiling, she added, "almost as energetic, as well..."

\---

 

The doctor reached out and gently shook Shiki by the shoulder. "Mister Arima?"

Shiki jolted awake. "Mnuh?"

"Sorry to startle you. Your wife has come out of the delivery room." He paused for dramatic effect. "Congratulations, Mister Arima. It's a girl."

An expression of pure joy spread across Shiki's face. "That's... that's great! What about Arcueid? Is she all right?"

"Your wife's fine. She's currently in Room 307. Just head down that hallway and make a left."

Standing up, Shiki quickly made his way down the dimly-lit hallway, weaving through the various staff members, patients and visitors. Giving a curt nod to a pair of nurses as he slipped by, he rounded the corner and found himself in a decaying, run-down hall, the flickering halogen lights coloring everything a sickly yellow. He slowed his pace, looking about before a twitch of motion drew his attention towards the ground: There lay a wounded doctor, his face and arms covered in deep claw marks, grasping at the floor as he slowly crawled down the hall. His legs lay limp behind him, a smeared trail of blood in his wake.

Sprinting over, Shiki slid to a halt as he knelt by his side. "What happened? Who did this to you?"

The man slowly turned and looked up at Shiki with dull, unfocused eyes. He made a gurgling noise before coughing, covering the floor in front of him with red flecks. "N... not huma... n... killed oth... ers... please..." he moaned, before his body slumped to the floor, unmoving.

Shiki made a mad dash back down the hallway and leaned out around the corner. "Hey, this man needs a doc-" He trailed off. "...tor?"

The hall that he had walked down not more than thirty seconds ago, filled with over a dozen people, was completely empty. Shiki glanced behind him and promptly did a double-take: The wounded doctor, too, was no longer there, though the trail of blood he left behind still remained. Focusing himself, he drew his knife from his pocket and carefully crept made his way down the hallway, following the trail left by the missing doctor until it lead him to one of the patient rooms. The door was closed and the number plainly visible.

307.

"Please be safe," he whispered to himself, then turned the knob and gave the door a push. The door slowly swung open and Shiki nearly gagged at what he saw: A nurse was slumped against the wall near the door in a pool of gore, her neck torn open and her uniform covered in crimson. In the middle of the room a doctor lay on the floor, his abdomen torn open and his entrails dumped in a bloody heap at his side. Fearing the worst, Shiki looked to the bed... only to see Arcueid smiling sweetly at a bundle in her arms, seemingly oblivious to the macabre scene surrounding her. "Arcueid?"

Arcueid looked up at Shiki, still smiling. "Hey there, dad."

"'Hey there, dad?' Arcueid, what the hell happened here?"

Her smile faded and she arched an eyebrow. "Huh? Oh, you mean them," she said, gesturing to the bodies on the floor with her free hand. "Well, your daughter got a bit hungry, that's all." Looking back at the baby she cooed, "she's such a fussy eater. Yes she is. Yes she is!" The baby, delighted with the attention it was receiving, burbled happily. "You know, I think she has your smile."

Despite his every instinct urging him not to, Shiki warily stepped over to Arcueid's side as she turned the baby towards him. The baby looked up at her father with golden eyes and smiled, its mouth opening to reveal dozens of long, needle-like teeth.

\---

The doctor reached out and gently shook Shiki by the shoulder. "Mister Arima?"

Shiki jolted awake. "Mnuh?"

"Sorry to startle you. Your wife has come out of the delivery room." He paused for dramatic effect. "Congratulations, Mister Arima. It's a girl."

An expression of pure joy spread across Shiki's face. "That's... that's great! What about Arcueid? Is she all right?"

"Your wife's fine. She's currently in Room 307. Just head down that hallway and make a left."

Standing up, Shiki was about to make his way down the empty hallway when he paused. Something tugged at his memory like a half-remembered dream; he wasn't sure what it was, precisely, but he was certain it had something to do with this hospital. He continued on his way, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary.

Rounding the corner he looked toward the floor, only to find... nothing. Of course the fact that there was nothing of note on the floor didn't bother Shiki so much as the fact that he expected to see something there. Odd to be sure, but stranger things did happen. He shrugged it off, continuing down the hallway to Room 307.

As he reached for the doorknob he paused, that nagging sensation returning once again. Somehow he had the strangest feeling that he didn't want to see - or shouldn't see - what lay beyond. Writing it off as nothing more than anxiety, he opened the door. Inside was...

...was Arcueid, holding their child while seated in a perfectly ordinary bed in a perfectly ordinary room. Inwardly scolding himself for being so paranoid, he entered the room. Arcueid looked up at him, smiling. "Hey there, dad."

"Hello, mom. You feeling alright?"

"You weren't worried about me, were you?"

"A little, yes."

"Don't worry, I've been through a lot worse. Your daughter's doing fine as well. See?"

Arcueid turned the bundle towards Shiki and a small human form jumped out and latched onto Shiki's arm. No more than two feet tall, it looked like a shorter version of Arcueid - complete with white sweater and purple skirt - with a tail, cat ears and eyes that took up half of its face. Looking up at Shiki, it grinned. "Nya! Hi, pops!"

\---

The doctor reached out and gently shook Shiki by the shoulder. "Mister Arima?"

Shiki jolted awake. "Mnuh?"

"Sorry to startle you. Your wife has come out of the delivery room." He paused for dramatic effect. "Congratulations, Mister Arima. It's a girl."

Shiki peered up at the doctor, suspicion evident in his expression.

"Is something the matter?"

"There weren't any problems, were there?"

"No complications at all."

"Nothing unusual, such as her being born with teeth or cat ears?"

The doctor was put off slightly by Shiki's question but politely replied, "nothing of the sort, sir. Your daughter is perfectly healthy."

Shiki breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. 307, right?" he asked, standing up.

"That's right," the doctor replied, checking something off on his clipboard. It wasn't until a few seconds later that it dawned on the man that he never said anything about the room number. He turned to ask Shiki how he knew, only to see him round the corner at the far end of the hall.

"Weirdo," he mumbled.

\---

Hearing the "click" of the door knob, Arcueid looked up from her daughter to see Shiki step into the room. "Hi. How are you feeling?"

"Relieved." She paused, then added, "...but still worried."

"Did something happen?"

"No, it's just that... well, look."

Shiki hesitated for a moment, but emboldened by his earlier dreams - after all, he thought to himself, it can't be much worse than that - he went over to his wife's bedside to take a look at his newborn daughter, who reached her tiny little hand out towards the strange new person before her, giggling in delight. There didn't seem to be anything missing or out of place: Ten fingers, ten toes, a tiny little nose, no pointy teeth, red eyes...

Wait... red eyes?

"Don't babies have blue eyes when they're born?" he asked.

"That's what I'm worried about."

"You don't think that there's something wrong with her, do you?"

"Oh, no. It's not that; I was just hoping that she would have looked more like you."

He sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. "What do you mean?"

"You know, more Japanese. So she'd fit in."

"I think she'll be all right; it's not as bad as it used to be." He adjusted his glasses. "Besides, I heard there's some Japanese men who find exotic-looking women very attractive."

She smiled warmly at him. "Thanks, Shiki." Looking back at her daughter, she furrowed her brow and said, "we still need to think of a name for her, though."

"Ichiko?"

"Ichiko? How many kids do you plan on us having, anyway?"

"It was just a suggestion. I'm not too fond of it myself, but it's a start."

"We could always name her Shiki Jr."

Shiki shook his head. "People will think that we're unoriginal."

"...and Ichiko isn't?"

"It *was* just a suggestion. How about Ryogi?"

"Ryogi? Isn't that a guy's name?"

"It can be a girl's name."

Arcueid looked down at her daughter. "She really doesn't look like a Ryogi, though."

The three of them sat there in silence, Arcueid and Shiki lost in thought and their child looking up at them in wonder.

"...Satsuki."

He looked at her, surprised. "What?"

"Satsuki Arima. That sounds nice for a May child, don't you think?"

Shiki said nothing, turning away and nodding sullenly. Arcueid looked at him with a puzzled expression for a few seconds before it dawned on her. "Oh, that's right. Your friend... it's too morbid, isn't it?"

He shook his head. "No, it's a good name. I think... I think she'd approve."

"Alright. Satsuki it is, then." Looking back at her daughter, she inquired, "how does that sound to you?"

Satsuki giggled joyfully in reply.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Certain sequences were deliberately done in script format when the work was posted on a forum. Formatting errors may be present.

"...with the final death toll reaching over 1.2 billion people, the majority of whom lost their lives in the ensuing tidal waves and flooding, with-"

The deep chiming of the school's bell startled the the wizened teacher out of his monologue. "Is it that time already?" he asked no-one in particular, looking up at the clock over the blackboard. "Well, no matter. I expect that some of you will be spending most of your weekend undergoing testing at the Geofront, so in the interests of fairness I have decided not to assign homework. Class dismissed."

The students, who by and large had been ignoring him for most of the class, packed their belongings and made their way out of the classroom into the hall. This sort of behavior was not unusual for this particular teacher, and the students had learned that it was easier to simply humor the man rather than try and convince him that a meteor did not strike Antarctica at the turn of the century. Some were still curious as to what would cause such strange behavior, however.

"You know what I think? I think he was in some apocalypse cult, and when the world didn't end he made up this whole story in his head." The pony-tailed girl turned to the blonde teen walking alongside her. "What do you think, Satsuki?"

Satsuki shrugged, smoothing out her short, chin-length hair. "Maybe he's just obsessed with some old movie or TV show. I heard that there were a lot of people like that back then."

"What, you mean people so totally hung up on something that they base their entire lives around it?"

Before Satsuki could respond two arms wrapped around her shoulders from behind as a handsome young man with close-cropped and impeccably styled dark hair leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "Hello there, gorgeous."

Satsuki smiled and leaned back to take a look at the new arrival. "Hey Katsuya."

"Speak of the devil," the girl muttered.

Turning away from Satsuki, Katsuya shot the girl a dirty look before politely asking, "I'm sorry, were you saying something?"

"Nothing at all," she replied. Quickening her pace, she waved behind her without turning around. "I'll see you later, Satsuki."

"Ran, hold on for a second, I-"

"Don't worry about it; she's just jealous. So..." he started, moving along side of her while still keeping one arm around her shoulder. "You have any plans for this Saturday?"

"Actually, yeah. A couple friends and I were planning on having a little girl's night out."

"It's been over a month since our last date. Are you saying that you don't have time for your personal Prince Charming?"

"Hey, my social life is a first-come, first-serve, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants sort of thing. They asked before you did, so..." She shrugged.

"...so I'm out in the cold then, huh?"

Satsuki stopped and turned to face him, gazing into his pale green eyes. "Don't say it like that. I mean, you're a nice guy and all, but sometimes I just need a little 'me' time, you know?"

"But what about us? I feel as if-"

"Katsuya, I'm not going to leave you any time soon." Cheerfully she added, "I'm open next week, though. Wanna give it a shot then?"

He nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Well then, until next week..."

"Until next week, Mr. Charming."

\---

The front doors to the school burst open and a skinny, chestnut-haired teen looked about frantically, searching for someone. Spotting the someone in question near the school's gate he ran after her, weaving his way through the mass of black uniform-clad students while waving one hand over his head. "Satsuki!"

Satsuki turned just as he slid to a stop next to her, pausing to catch his breath. "Oh, hi Takada."

"I was... looking all over for you," Takada gasped. "Teacher wanted to... to talk to you about something."

"Oh. Well, it can probably wait until Monday," she said off-handedly, walking away.

Jogging after her Takada said, "hold on a second! Didn't you hear him calling your name?"

"Nah, I sort of blanked out and lost track of time."

"...that figures."

"Oh, come on. It's not like he was saying anything important."

"That's not the point." He ran a hand through his unkempt mop of hair, collecting his thoughts. "Look, are you doing anything over the weekend, because I'd-"

"Hey now!" Satsuki stopped in her tracks, whirled around and leaned forward until she was nearly nose-to-nose with Takada. "You're not asking me out on a date, are you?" she inquired, grinning.

"A date? No, no no... it's just that..." He trailed of, looking away.

Satsuki giggled and looked into Takada's eyes. "Go on."

"...I'd, um... like to help you with some of your class work."

She arched an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"Well... the teacher's always on your case about how you could do better if you applied yourself and all, and since I'm one of the better students in the class he asked me if I could help you study."

"Oh, that," she replied, the tone of her voice showing an expressed disinterest in the subject. "Ah, you know teachers are. They're all stuck that old 'study hard, work hard and be miserable because our parents were too' mentality. Plus most of the classes are completely _useless_. I mean really, algebra? How practical is knowing what x times y to the z over three to the blah power is? Why not teach people something useful, like how to cook?"

"Did you study for the last algebra test?" Takada inquired.

"Nah, I had better things to do."

"What did you get on it?"

"Hmm," Satsuki hmmed. After a moment's thought she dismissed the question with a gesture. "It's not important."

"This _is_ important, Satsuki! If you don't study you won't get good grades, if you don't get good grades you won't get into a good college..." She began making a yackety-yack gesture with her hand, which he ignored. "...if you don't get into a good college you won't get a good job, and if-"

She sighed. "If this, if that... you know I don't like talking about ifs." Her expression brightened and she leaned forward again. "But you know what?"

"What?"

"I'm glad you're worried about me, Takada. You're going to make some girl very happy some day." With that she turned and ran off, waving to Takada. "See you next week!"

Takada waved meekly at the departing Satsuki. Once she was out of sight he sighed and began trudging home. "...feel like a babysitter sometimes..."

\---

The front door slid open and Satsuki stepped inside, slipping her shoes off in the foyer before continuing down the hall towards her room. As she walked past the living room she heard a familiar voice call out. "Welcome home, honey."

Dropping her school bag she turned around and ran into the living room. There, seated in a chair and reading a magazine, was Arcueid Arima. Though nearly twenty years had passed since Shiki first met her, she remained as radiant as ever.

"Mom!" Satsuki practically dived towards her, wrapping both arms around her neck. "Mom, I missed you so much!"

Arcueid returned the hug in kind. "I missed you too, hon. So how's school?"

"Oh, you know, same old same old. Learn new things, meet new people..."

"Flirt with your boyfriend."

"Moooooom," she chided, leaning back.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. I flirted with your father all the time back in the day."

"That's really not the sort of thing you're supposed to tell your kids, mom." In an attempt to change the subject to something other than her mother's romantic life she asked, "how was Okinawa?"

"It's beautiful this time of year. All the flowers are in bloom, the weather's nice and warm... the shopping's good too. Speaking of which, I got you something."

"Really?" Satsuki eagerly asked, leaning forward.

"Really." Reaching over, Arcueid picked up a small rectangular box and handed it to her daughter. "The instant I saw it I thought of you."

She looked the box over with a puzzled expression before lifting up the top, and immediately her eyes lit up: Inside was an exquisitely crafted teardrop-shaped switchblade knife, an intricate swirling pattern of turquoise inlaid into the gleaming steel handle.

"Oh, wow! This is the greatest gift _ever!_ " Once again hugging her mother tightly, she skipped off towards her room to revel in her new gift.

Arcueid shook her head as she went back to reading. "You really are your father's child..."

\---

"...and _then_ I find out that he's been with some bitch from the Lillian school across town." The tall, short-haired girl clenched her fist, causing the joints to crack rather loudly. "So I do what every self-respecting woman should do when they find out that their SOs are running around behind their backs."

"No offense, Akira," Ran started, "but I'm not sure that most women would beat up their boyfriends."

"I didn't beat him up," Akira said, taking a sip of her drink. "I slammed him into the wall before throwing him to the ground. 'Beating up' implies punching."

"He has a black eye," Ran retorted.

"Okay, so I punched him once. My point still stands. Why are you asking _me_ all this crap, anyway?" She gestured to Satsuki, who was sitting across from her. "Pester Sats for a while or something. She's the one with the improbably successful relationship."

Satsuki shot Akira a look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, come on. Out of three hundred assholes you get the one guy who's willing to wait on you hand and foot and probably sits around all day at home waiting for you to call him because he can't go a day without hearing your voice." She clasped her hands together and held them to her chest for emphasis.

"Bitter much?" Ran asked.

"I don't know about you," Satsuki said, "but from what I've seen most guys don't cheat on their girlfriends."

"What about your guy?"

"He wouldn't do that; he's too nice."

"So... he loves you."

"Yeah."

Akira cocked an eyebrow. "Do you love him?"

After a moment's thought she hesitantly replied, "yeah, I guess so..." before taking a drink from her soda.

"Oh, I see," Akira commented, nodding. "Did you fuck him?"

Satsuki's reaction to the question was to inadvertently spray her beverage through her nose and into the air in front of her, following it with a violent coughing fit and ending with her clutching her nose as the carbonation did very unpleasant things to her sinuses.

"Is that a 'no?'" Akira asked, trying to suppress a grin and failing miserably.

Satsuki nodded, still holding her nose.

"Akira!" Ran hissed, "what kind of question is that?"

"Oh, come _on!_ Like you weren't wondering the same thing. The way he acts I wouldn't be surprised if Sat here was leading him around by his dick." She chuckled. "Wouldn't blame her, either. The guy's loaded."

"For your informa-" Satsuki paused before sniffing, picking up her napkin and blowing her nose. "For your information I have not, nor will I ever have sex with him."

"So you _don't_ love him."

"I love him, I just-"

"You just don't love him enough to have sex with him."

"There's more to love than just sex."

Akira pointed to Satsuki and opened her mouth to say something before turning away and shrugging. "Okay, you got me. Maybe I'm just jaded..."

"'Maybe?'" Ran asked incredulously.

"Okay, so I am jaded. But I just find it strange that your relationship is so... so perfect, you know?" She picked up her glass. "You do know what they say about things that are too good to be true, right?"

\---

As Katsuya stared out the sedan's side window contemplating the day's events, his thoughts were rather rudely disturbed by the ringing of his cell phone. Pulling the phone out of his jacket pocket, he checked the number before cursing and flipping it open. "What do you want?" he snapped.

"Katsuya, something's come up," a nervous-sounding man's voice said. "That is to say, uh..."

"Spit it out, old man."

"Your sister is... is going to be, uh..." The voice wavered slightly. "...joining you. At school."

"WHAT?" Katsuya screamed, startling the driver. "How could you let that conniving little bitch do something like that?"

"N-n-now don't get so upset. I tried to talk her out of it, but she's... you know how she is, right?"

Katsuya leaned back in his seat, massaging his temples with his free hand. "Yes, I do. I also know that you've got no balls, which is why she can get away with shit like this. You should've locked her up, father."

"Maybe she-"

"She's a freak. You know that."

"She's a human being! How can you-"

"Right now she's good for one thing and one thing only, and the last time I checked she didn't have to be walking around trying to stick her nose into my business to do it. This isn't a hard thing to understand, but somehow you've managed to fuck it up." He snorted. "Now I know why your father never expected much from you."

Katsuya's father tried to reply but was cut off when Katsuya closed the phone and placed it back into his pocket. "Fuck me," he muttered. Then, to the driver, "you may as well head home; there's no way in Hell that I can enjoy myself after this."

"Yes, sir," he replied.

Looking out the window again, he let out an irritated growl. "This is going to go to shit, I can see it already."

\---

Satsuki sighed. Another nondescript week in the public education system. It wasn't that she didn't like it - she wasn't terribly fond of it, granted, she just knew she couldn't do much without it and begrudgingly put up with it - it was just that it was so... well, boring. Almost predictable. Right about now, she thought, would be the time that someone - probably Takada - would come up behind her and ask her how her weekend went. 

"Excuse me... you are Satsuki Arima, are you not?"

She stopped. Either Takada was hitting the estrogen or predictability just up and left when she wasn't looking.

"Yeah, I am," she said, turning. "...and you are...?"

Standing behind her was a slim, demure young woman a few inches taller than Satsuki and clad in the school's black uniform, gazing intently at her with deep blue eyes. She gave her a slight bow, causing her waist-length raven-black hair to cascade down over her shoulders. Brushing it back she replied, "Nanashi."

After a moment's thought Satsuki tilted her head and cocked an eyebrow. "Have we met?"

Nanashi allowed herself a slight smile before walking past her and towards the school. "No," she said, "but Katsuya spoke of you."

"He did? Hey, wait up!" She took a few quick steps before slowing down to keep pace with her. "How do you know Katsuya?"

"He's my twin brother."

"He never said anything about having a sister."

"He's not that fond of me," she said, brushing a stray lock of hair aside. "I can't imagine why."

Satsuki nodded. "I see."

They continued on in silence for a few seconds before Nanashi turned to look at Satsuki and spoke. "You know, Katsuya said you were quite beautiful. I see now that such words are an understatement."

"Um... thanks." Taken aback by this statement, Satsuki found herself blushing despite herself, turning away to hide her embarrassment. She knew this was flattery of the highest degree, but coming from her it just sounded so...

"You must have a lot of male admirers."

She shook her head. "Not really. Most guys don't talk to me."

"I find that surprising."

"It's probably because I look like, well..." She gestured to herself in a "you know the rest" sort of way.

"A foreigner?"

"Yeah."

"Their loss."

She smiled. "Yeah, no kidding. So how about you?"

"Well, we all have our secrets..."

As they approached one of the hallway junctions Katsuya rounded the corner heading towards them and, upon seeing his sister, came to a sudden halt. "Oh, it's you," he said, his expression darkening.

"Good morning, brother."

"Satsuki," he said, ignoring Nanashi, "what are you doing with her?"

"Just talking," she replied.

He glared at his sister. "I see."

"You don't object to our conversation, do you?" Nanashi inquired, giving him a sly look. "After all, no harm can come of it, correct?"

"...no, of course not." Forcing a smile, he nodded towards Satsuki and gave her a polite, "I'll see you later, Satsuki," before walking past the two girls and turning into a nearby classroom.

"What's gotten into him?" Satsuki asked.

Nanashi smirked. "I won't even hazard a guess."

\---

>   
> 15\. EXT. POV SHOT - ALLEY - NIGHT
> 
> The alley is between two concrete buildings. Judging from  
>  the lack of garbage and graffiti, it isn't in the bad part  
>  of town. A street light illuminates the alley slightly.  
>  It's enough to see, but not enough to make out details. The  
>  shot begins at the end of the alley, facing the street, with  
>  the CAMERA at eye level. It slowly moves forward,  
>  accompanied by light footsteps.
> 
> The camera stops. A light sniffing sound is heard for a  
>  second, then the camera lowers slightly and races forward at  
>  high speed. Just as it reaches the end of the alley A MAN  
>  steps into view.
> 
> The man is wearing a brown business suit and is slightly  
>  overweight and balding. He carries with him a dark brown  
>  suitcase.
> 
> As the camera approaches the man two feminine hands come  
>  into frame and wrap around his arm, tugging at it. The man,  
>  not expecting this, jumps slightly and pulls back.
> 
> F. VOICE (OS)  
>  (distressed)  
>  Please, you have to help me!
> 
> MAN  
>  Wha-?
> 
> F.VOICE (OS)  
>  My friend, they've got my friend!  
>  She's back there and they're going  
>  to kill her or rape her or- you  
>  have to help me, please!
> 
> The man looks torn. His first instinct is to get away from  
>  there, but his expression hardens as he begins to feel the  
>  call of chivalry.
> 
> MAN  
>  Where are they?
> 
> F. VOICE (OS)  
>  Thank you, oh thank you so much!
> 
> The man gets pulled into the alley for a few steps before  
>  the arms retract from the frame. The camera begins moving  
>  away from the man.
> 
> F. VOICE (OS)  
>  She's this way! Hurry!
> 
> Turning away, the camera races down the alley, weaving past  
>  neatly-stacked garbage cans and orange crates and around  
>  corners. Heavy footsteps can be heard in the distance, but  
>  as the camera continues onward they begin to fade.
> 
> The camera stops, looking into a cul-de-sac. The only  
>  thing that can be seen in the moonlight are a metal door  
>  on the left side with a broken lamp hanging above it.
> 
> The camera whips backwards. The man hasn't arrived yet.
> 
> Panning up, the camera quickly moves back and forth between  
>  the walls of the alley until it reaches the top. It then  
>  pans downward to reveal the man running into the alley, his  
>  breath coming in ragged gasps. He comes to a halt, leaning  
>  forward with his hands on his knees as he looks around.
> 
> Staggering forward, he tries the door. No good; it's  
>  locked. He looks around again to see if he missed anything.
> 
> The view blurs as the camera rapidly descends onto the man,  
>  flying to his neck. He barely has time to shout when a  
>  wet tearing noise is heard and blood sprays into the frame.  
>  He flails about in agony, trying in vain to escape.  
>  Suddenly, a loud crack is heard and his body goes limp as  
>  he slumps to the ground. The camera remains fixed at his  
>  throat the entire time as lapping noises are heard.
> 
> The licking continues for several more seconds until the  
>  camera moves back up, looking down at the body as a pool of  
>  blood slowly spreads around him.
> 
> CUT TO BLACK.  
> 

  
\---

Satsuki awoke with a start, her body covered in a thin film of cold sweat. Propping herself up in bed, she frantically looked around her to ensure that she was still in her room and not in some back alley with a corpse. After confirming that she was in fact at home she breathed a sigh of relief, trying to calm herself down.

"That dream again..." she said to herself, resting her elbows on her knees. When did they begin, she wondered? Almost two weeks ago? The faces and locations were all different, but the outcome was always the same: Some poor soul was tricked, trapped or hunted down by her, after which she murdered them and consumed their blood. The thing that struck her, though, was that they were so vivid: The smell of the man's cologne, the sound of tearing flesh and the taste of blood which still lingered in her mouth. Stranger still was that during them she felt a sense of joy, almost as if it was all some sort of game for her.

"This is probably some sort of subliminal... thing," she mumbled, falling back onto her pillow. "Like repressed sexual urges or something Freudian like that. Yeah, nothing to get worried over, just..."

She closed her eyes and groaned, finding that to her dismay her attempts to convince herself that her dreams weren't a problem weren't very... well, convincing. Pulling the covers back up over her, she rolled over and prepared for another fitful night of sleep.

\---

Approximately eleven hours later Satsuki was sitting in her school's cafeteria with Takada, Katsuya and Nanashi. Takada was occupying himself by checking his notes for the next class, Katsuya was casting suspicious glances at Nanashi in between bites of his meal, Nanashi (whose presence Katsuya tolerated purely for Satsuki's sake) was looking at Satsuki with an expression of vague interest and Satsuki was contemplating how two weeks' worth of dreams about murdering people and drinking their blood put a damper on her appetite as she listlessly prodded at a small clump of rice with a plastic fork.

"You're worried about something," Nanashi said. It wasn't a question so much as a statement of fact.

It wasn't until about a second later that Satsuki realized that yes, someone was talking to her. "What? Oh, uh... it's nothing. Really."

"It's not like you to be this concerned about something." She leaned forward, folding her hands in front of her and resting her chin on them. "...and it really doesn't suit you, to be frank." Casting a sidelong glance at the two males at the table she added, "surely I'm not the only one who's noticed this?"

"Actually, I was wondering about that," Takada started, looking up from his notes at Satsuki. "You've been really-"

"Of course I've noticed," Katsuya said haughtily. "I was just about to ask, as a matter of fact. At least until _someone_ interrupted me." He shot a dirty look at Nanashi, who ignored it.

Satsuki gave the rice clump another nudge before setting her fork down. "Thanks for noticing," she said sullenly, eyes fixed on her plate, "but I really don't feel like talking about it at the moment."

Katsuya started to say something which, in his mind, would reassure his girlfriend as well as help patch up their relationship which, also in his mind, had been steadily going downhill. Before he could even utter a word, however, his sister chose that exact moment to reassure his girlfriend for her.

"I understand," she said softly, patting Satsuki's hand. "But just remember that we're here for you should you ever need a confidant."

She raised her head and allowed herself a slight smile. "Thanks, Nanashi."

"-the body of the victim, Hideyuki Oda, age 37-" Satsuki turned in time to see a black and white portrait of a portly, balding businessman on the cafeteria's television screen, his eyes censored by a thick black bar. "...was discovered this morning by locals. At this time the police have no suspects, but Commissioner-"

The color in Satsuki's face rapidly drained away and she felt herself becoming very ill. She managed to stammer out an "excuse me" before stumbling to her feet and quickly making her way out of the cafeteria and down the hall.

Turning towards her departing form, both Takada and Katsuya shouted, "Satsuki, wait!" Takada glanced back at Katsuya, Katsuya turned and glared at Nanashi and Nanashi turned to Katsuya and gave him an innocent smile. Noting the lack of reaction on both their parts, Takada set his notebook down and quickly followed after her.

After Takada's departure, Katsuya's expression was replaced with one of almost inhuman calm as he turned away from his sister, returning his attentions to his meal. "You know, for all those years everyone's said that you were worthless, not even deserving of a name. But no, even someone who's worthless would have the sense to stay out of other people's business. Especially when it's in their own best interests to back the hell off."

"Is it, now?"

"Don't be coy with me. Do you really think I can't tell why you're here?"

"I am here because I choose to be. You, on the other hand-"

"I'm here," he cut in, "because I _want_ to be here. Don't act as if you know things you don't."

"Come, now; we're both on leashes, brother. The only difference is that I choose to lead my so-called masters while you sit by their side cowed into submission."

"At least you admit you're a rabid bitch," he snapped.

"Mind your words," she said, standing up. "You've a reputation to uphold here, do you not?"

"One of us does."

"All the more reason to be careful, is it not? Good day."

\---

Shoving the door open Satsuki plodded onto the school's roof, breathing heavily. The churning sensation in the pit of her stomach had subsided somewhat, leaving her merely nauseated and not completely prepared to lose her lunch. Running a hand through her hair, she thought about what she had just seen.

"He's really dead," she said to herself. She tilted her head upwards and stared into the sky. "They're really dead."

"Satsuki?"

Satsuki jumped and quickly turned, presenting Takada with her best nonchalant look. Looking at her in faint befuddlement, he closed the door behind him.

"How'd you find me?"

"The door was open; I just followed the breeze. Are you feeling okay?"

She nodded slowly before looking off to the side, fidgeting. Eventually she asked, "Takada, we're good friends, right?"

"Well, yeah. Ever since, what, fifth grade?"

She leaned forward and looked into his eyes, her expression becoming a bit more pleading. " _Really_ good friends, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so..." he said, albeit hesitantly.

"So I can tell you something and trust that you won't tell anyone else, right?"

"Yeah..." Takada didn't exactly like where this was going, but he still went along with it regardless.

She leaned forward a bit further and, looking directly into Takada's eyes, said in a worried tone, "I'm dead serious, Takada. I'm going to tell you something and you need to promise me that you will not tell anyone. EVER."

Takada's eyes flitted to the side for a moment as he tried to avoid her gaze. After a second of hesitation he said, "okay. I promise." After all, how bad could it possibly be?

"Okay." Leaning back, she took a deep breath and looked around, trying to find the right words to explain her plight. After a while she gave up and decided to say it as simply as possible. "Takada," she said, "I think I killed a bunch of people."

He nodded. "Oh, well- WHAT?"

"I think I killed a bunch of people."

Takada stared at her in disbelief before turning away. Removing his glasses, he rubbed his eyes and mumbled, "you can't be serious." He turned back towards her, only to find her looking as desperate as he had ever seen her. "...you _are_ serious."

"That guy on the news that was killed? I had a dream last night where I killed him, and before that there were a bunch of other guys who-"

Takada held his hands up. "Hold it, hold it, hold it. You believe that just because you had a dream about it that you did it?"

She blinked. "Well, when you say it like that..."

"It could have been someone else and you just mistook the man's face for the one in your dream."

"No, I'm _sure_ that it was him."

"Right." He slid his glasses back into place, thinking for a moment. "Didn't you say that there were other people as well?"

"Yeah, about ten or so."

"Was there any mention of other killings in the news recently?"

She shook her head.

He folded his arms across his chest and lowered his head, lapsing into thought again. After a few seconds he said, "I honestly don't know what to make of this. I mean, it's all so far-fetched, but..."

But she's so worked up over it that I can't help but wonder, he thought. Unfolding his arms, Takada looked up at her. "Do you remember where any of the other murders in your dreams occurred?"

"Vaguely, yeah. Why?"

"If it'll make you feel better, I want you to lead me to one of the locations after school. If there's no body or anything of the sort, this whole ordeal can be put to rest. Except for the whole..." he gesticulated. "...'dreaming about killing' thing."

"Okay," she said hesitantly. "But what if there is a body there?"

"We'll deal with that if - IF - it actually comes up. Which I seriously doubt."

"Right," she deadpanned.

"Why couldn't you tell Katsuya this, anyway?"

"Well, for starters I trust you and, I dunno, I just... I don't think he'd understand, you know?"

"...and _I'm_ supposed to?"

"Well, no, but you were here, so..." She shrugged.

\---

Several hours earlier in the Burial Agency's main complex, a silver-haired woman clad in a navy cloak strode down the main corridor of its offices, the heels of her boots clicking on the polished marble floor. As the blue-cloaked figure passed by two bishops having a conversation they grew silent, watching her distrustfully. She paid them no mind; she had become accustomed to such events in her time working for the church and really, she didn't expect them to know any better.

At the end of the hallway she shoved open the polished wooden doors, coming into a lavishly decorated room filled with Catholic regalia. In the center of the room was a large desk, behind which sat an older man in crimson ceremonial garb, composing a letter on a sheet of paper with a silver and gold-plated pen. Upon hearing the doors open he looked up, rose to his feet and slowly made his way around the desk to meet the woman. Coming to a halt, she lowered herself down on one knee as he extended his hand, kissing his ring in reverence. "Cardinal Jacobson."

"Welcome, Mediator. Prompt as ever, I see."

"What's the situation?"

The cardinal slowly returned to his seat, talking as he went. "We've received reports of some unusual activity in Japan, more specifically in the Miyagi prefecture, somewhere in the suburbs of Sendai." Noting her expression of shock, he continued. "...and it would appear that you do know something about it after all. No wonder you were chosen for this mission."

Composing herself, she asked, "it's a Dead Apostle, isn't it?"

"From the looks of things, yes."

"I take it that Narbareck wants me to find and eliminate it, then."

"One would think that, yes. But even though she did say that it was your mistake she also said that she didn't trust you enough to deal with the matter. I'm not quite certain as to the meaning behind her words, mind you; I'm merely the messenger."

The woman had a few choice words to say regarding Narbareck but decided against it. "So if that isn't the task at hand," she said, annoyance creeping into her voice, "then what is?"

"While the Dead Apostle is an issue, naturally, there's another matter that needs to be addressed at the same time. More specifically, one that will remove a persistent thorn from the side of the Church and prevent this from happening again."

Ciel folded her arms across her chest. "I'm listening."


	3. Chapter 3

"So is this it?" Takada asked.

Satsuki nodded. "Yeah."

The two of them stood there in silence, staring at the ruined train platform that stood before them. The steel tracks it stood beside were colored a reddish-brown from the ravages of time and weather and covered with overgrown foliage. The plaster exterior of the platform was crumbling off in places to reveal the cement brickwork underneath and the roof had long since fallen off, causing the structure to bear a passing resemblance to the rotting carcass of some long-forgotten beast. The metal door leading to the small office for this now-inconsequential public transit stop was still intact, however. What lay beyond it, though, was yet to be seen.

After several minutes Satsuki broke the silence with, "well, might as well get this over with." Crossing over to the other side of the tracks, she proceeded towards the abandoned platform. After a moment's wavering Takada followed in suit, and the two wordlessly continued onward.

As Satsuki climbed the station's steps she said, "I'm surprised, Takada."

"At what?" he asked, stopping short.

She gestured around her. "This. I mean, I pretty much said to you, 'I'm crazy and I kill people' and instead of slowly backing away without making eye contact you were genuinely concerned about me. That's- ...well, 'touching' might be too strong a word for it..."

"Well, I worry about you," he said. After a moment's pause he scratched the back of his neck and turned away, mumbling, "or at least you do things that make me worry about you..."

He winced and slowly turned back towards her, hoping that she didn't hear what he said. If she did she gave no indication of it, as she was currently gazing at the door in front of her, lost in thought. Climbing the steps he trotted over to her side and lightly placed his hand on her shoulder. "Come on," he said, trying his best to calm her, "all we need to do is check out this one room and we can put this whole thing to rest. Right?"

She slowly nodded and with a look of determination reached forward and grasped the knob. "You better be right about this," she said.

She turned the knob and pushed the door open in one slow, deliberate motion, causing a wave of eye-watering putrefaction to flow out of the doorway. Both Satsuki and Takada turned away, the latter gagging on the stench while staggering backwards and the former covering her nose and mouth with her hand. After a short while the odor dissipated she turned back to look into the abandoned room.

Unceremoniously slumped in the corner of the room was the body of a young man, barely in his thirties, with a gruesome-looking jugular wound. His skin tone had faded to a sickly greyish color and his yellowish eyes were rolled back into his head. A swarm of flies, drawn by the rotting flesh, had descended upon his wound and the claret stain covering the left side of his torso.

"Oh shit," she gasped, the pit of her stomach churning from both with the sight of the cadaver and the sudden and violent re-emergence of her own guilt. She turned away, clutching her head. "Oh shit, oh shit oh shit oh SHIT! I killed him! I killed him and they're gonna hang me for it and, and... shit, this isn't right!"

It was about this time that Takada's coughing paroxysm ended and he looked behind him to see what was in the room. Doing a double-take, he darted over to the doorway and leaned in for a better look, supporting himself by holding on to both sides of the door frame. "Oh God!" he shouted in disbelief. "He's dead!"

If nothing else, Takada Youichi had a remarkable grasp of the obvious.

"That's what I've been saying! Oh, I am so screwed..."

Pulling his head out of the doorway, he turned back towards a very perturbed Satsuki. "There has to be an explanation for this. If we just calm down and-"

"Calm down? You're not the one who's killing people in their sleep!"

"Just because there's a body there doesn't mean that you did it!"

"Like anybody's going to believe that!" she exploded.

"Won't they? If you just explain what happened there'll be no problems."

"'Gee officer, I just found him there like him. What? Oh no, I just knew I would find a dead body in an abandoned train station.' They're not stupid, you know!"

Takada removed his glasses and lowered his head, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. "Well, we can't just leave him here; people are going to start asking questions once they notice that he's gone. This isn't something that can just be covered up, you know." When he looked back up he noticed that Satsuki had backed away and was currently staring into the room behind him.

"Satsuki?"

Crouching down slightly she pulled her knife out of her pocket, the blade glinting in the afternoon sun as she flicked it open and spun it around to an underhanded grip in in one smooth motion. Something about how clean the blade was seemed off to her, but this was neither the time nor the place to think about it. "Move. Now," she said, fear creeping into her voice.

"...what're you-"

"MOVE!" Reaching out with her free hand, she grabbed Takada by the collar and half-dragged, half-threw him to the side just as two haggard limbs swung down in the space where he had been standing a split-second earlier. The young man, caught off-guard, had little time to react before landing shoulder-first on the tiled concrete floor. Clutching his shoulder with one hand, he forced himself up into a sitting position.

"What was that for??" he shouted at her.

"Shut up and stay back!" she replied, her eyes not moving from the door.

A guttural moan emanated from the doorway and the gaunt, pallid form of the thirtysomething man shuffled out, clearly dead yet somehow still alive. Its head twitched slightly as its eyes rolled back into place with a sickly wet peeling noise, flitting about for a second before coming to rest on Satsuki, who grit her teeth and tightened her grip on her knife.

"...oh God, what the hell is that thing?" Takada mumbled, scrambling backwards. Turning back to his friend he shouted, "Satsuki, you're the one with the knife! DO something!"

Satsuki shot a quick look over to Takada before returning her attention to the cadaver, muscles tensed and prepared for any action it might take. That action never came, as it merely stood there staring down at her with jaundiced eyes, its limbs swaying slightly as if in an unseen breeze. Confused, she slowly lowered her guard and straightened up, meeting its gaze. Her expression softened, and she slowly began to reach towards it with her free hand.

With a sudden jerk the dead man before her swung its arm up, mimicing her gesture. She reflexively pulled her hand back, and with another twitch it followed in kind. Blinking, she looked down at her hand, then back at the cadaver before slowly reaching up towards its face. "You poor creature..." she said softly, her voice full of pity. "Left alone in such a place. I don't know whether to leave you be or put you out of your misery."

"That's, um... that's not what I had in mind when I said-"

She turned a withering gaze on Takada, the light of the setting sun giving her eyes a momentary golden cast. The dead man turned towards him and let out a hoarse bellow, then raised its arms and lunged towards him. Gasping, Satsuki leapt to the side and swung her knife upward as Takada shielded his head with his arms, wincing in expectation of the worst.

There was the sound of metal slicing through flesh, and light thumps followed by a deep, pained growl.

Lowering his arms, Takada looked towards his feet to see four severed fingers, still twitching slightly. Turning his sights upwards he noticed the cadaver stumbling backwards as brownish blood oozed from the stumps where its digits were. Satsuki was crouching beside him, knife at the ready.

"I thought I told you to stay back!" she said angrily, standing up.

"I was, but you were-"

"Next time, stay back farth-" She didn't manage to finish her sentence, as the cadaver caught her off-guard with a hard hook to the jaw. Satsuki reeled from the blow, recovering just in time to duck under a clumsy second swing with the cadaver's wounded arm and rake her knife across its abdomen, forming a wide, bloody gash.

The cadaver howled in pain and swung its arms downward as Satsuki rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding its grasp. Swiftly rising to her feet, she leapt up and delivered a high roundhouse kick to its face, sending it stumbling backwards towards the platform's edge with blood streaming from both nostrils of its mangled nose. Advancing, she delivered a second high kick to its head, knocking several teeth loose and causing a small spray of gore to issue from its mouth.

With the cadaver teetering on the edge of the platform Satsuki swung her knife towards its neck with the intent of slashing its throat, but at the last second its body jerked forward in a futile attempt to right itself, causing her knife to sink into the side of its neck before it finally tipped backwards. Lashing out with its good hand it clutched her arm, dragging her off the platform as it fell to the ground below, landing in a gravel pit with Satsuki landing on it in turn, her face mere inches from its jaws. She grunted, pushing herself away from it as it growled and gnashed what remained of its teeth.

As she reached forward to pull her knife from the cadaver's neck it swung its arms forward with uncanny speed, wrapping what remained of its fingers around her neck in a death grip. She let out a strangled gurgling sound and reached down, the handle of her weapon mere inches from her fingertips. As it tightened its grasp she coughed and reached up, gripping the wrist of the cadaver's injured hand with both hands. Mustering all the strength she could, she strained to pull its hand free from her throat. Seconds ticked by as her arms shook from the effort, the cadaver's grip seemingly holding steadfast. Suddenly, she could feel its hand slipping slightly before its grip gave completely, the stumps of its fingers painting bloody streaks on her neck. Gasping for breath, she reached out her hand and grasped her knife, twisting the handle before tearing it out of its neck, raising it above her head and driving it into its temple with both hands. There was a moment of dead silence as both Satsuki and the cadaver - she still gripping the knife embedded in its head, it lying there, both arms raised into the air - remained there, unmoving.

Then, all hell broke loose. The cadaver let out a loud shriek and began writhing about in agony, flailing its arms. Kneeling over it Satsuki wrenched her knife out and drove it into its chest once, twice, thrice, stabbing the cadaver over and over, piercing its body, spurts of blood and flecks of gore flying up into her face and coating her school uniform. Though its body quickly went limp she continued her frenzied assault, finally administering a brutal coup de grace by pinning its head to the ground with her free hand and slicing its throat with her knife deep enough to strike bone, sending a torrent of blood spilling from its neck.

Exhausted, Satsuki slowly stood up on shaky legs, staring down at the mutilated and gore-caked body before her, dead for the second and hopefully last time. She took a step back and looked down at herself in a daze: The front of her once-black school uniform was now a mottled mess of blood and bits of flesh and her trembling hands were so coated with gore that it dripped off of her fingertips.

"Satsuki!" Takada shouted as he bounded down the platform's steps two at a time, nearly falling over when he touched ground. Stumbling, he regained his balance and hurried towards her, stopping a couple feet away from both her and the body. "Are you okay? Is it dead?"

Looking up Satsuki glanced at Takada, who recoiled slightly upon seeing her face smeared and flecked with blood. She slowly nodded and turned back towards the body. "...it's dead."

"What the hell was that thing?"

"...I don't know."

"Well, we've got to get out of here and cleaned up. What if someone sees you like... that?" Approaching her, he gingerly placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to avoid some of the larger blood stains, and began to lead her away from the station.

"...this isn't right," she mumbled. "This isn't right."

\---

"Anyway, I'm just checking in to tell you that everything's going fine." Cradling her cellular phone, Arcueid drew the curtain open with her free hand, surveying the ocean from her hotel room's bay window. "The photo shoot was delayed until tomorrow due to rain, so I'm probably going to be back a little later than expected."

"All right," Shiki replied. "I'll be sure to tell Satsuki, then."

"Speaking of which, is she home?"

"No. I haven't seen her around and she hasn't called since I came back from work, strangely enough."

"Well, you know her. She's probably out being a social butterfly or cavorting with her boyfriend."

"I still can't believe you're not concerned."

She laughed. "Shiki, you worry too much. She's _our_ daughter, remember? She can take care of herself." A series of knocks at her door pulled Arcueid from her reverie. "Listen, I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

"Good night, Arcueid."

"Good night, Shiki."

Snapping her phone shut, she gently tossed it onto her bed as she padded to the door. Pausing briefly to smooth the wrinkles out of her white silk shirt, she reached for the knob and pulled the door open slightly, poking her head out. "Yes?"

Standing in the doorway was a woman that, barring her silvery hair, appeared to be somewhere in her mid to late thirties, and was clad in a thin charcoal-colored three-piece suit, complete with a black tie held down with a silver cross-shaped tie tack. Though she couldn't pin it down, there was something oddly familiar about the haircut and the shape of her face...

"Mrs. Brunestud, I presume."

Arcueid blinked. "...Ciel?"

She nodded. "Hello, Arcueid."

Ciel was anticipating any of several reactions from Arcueid. A warm greeting and embrace was not one of them.

"Ciel! Oh my God, it's been forever! Come in, come in," she said, pushing the door open and ushering the perplexed Mediator into her hotel room. "Oh, wow. How long has it been? Almost twenty years?"

"I suppose so, I-"

"I never thought I'd see you again."

Ciel allowed herself a small smile. "Likewise. You haven't changed at all, it seems."

"You have, though. I mean, look at you: You got rid of that frumpy cloak and schoolgirl uniform and actually got some clothes that look good on you, and your hair is-"

"What's wrong with my hair?" she asked defensively.

"Nothing, I'm just saying..." She paused, then added, "it makes you look... distinguished."

"...yes, well... I'm sorry to say that I'm here on business."

Arcueid shrugged. "Figures. Not like you'd show up out of the blue to socialize when there's vampires to kill, right? So," she said, taking a seat on the corner of the bed, "what's the problem? The Dark Six finally showed up? ORT made an unexpected appearance at the local airport?"

"Actually, it's been a bit of an ongoing problem. Several years ago one of the members of the Burial Agency recanted his loyalties to the Church and fled the Vatican, but not before misappropriating several relics from the vaults. Since then he's gone into hiding, but recently he's turned up again. We've received word that he's assembled a group of mages and is currently headed towards an uninhabited island somewhere in the south Pacific Ocean near Pitcairn for what we believe to be-"

"...some sort of 'pagan ritual' involving summoning, heretics, blasphemy, horrible evils roaming the land, possible Dead Apostles in the works... that sort of thing, right?"

"In so many words, yes."

"...and you want my help because you think that they've summoned something that not even you can handle?"

She gritted her teeth. "...yes."

"Man, they must be short-handed," she muttered. "I'm guessing that they know you're asking me."

"Yes, they do. It was their idea, in fact."

"...and if I refuse?"

"My superiors would understand. They would not, however, be happy."

"Test of loyalty, huh?" She stood up and stretched. "Well, they've left me and Shiki alone for all this time; I suppose it wouldn't hurt to do something to stay in the Church's good graces. Keep them from trying to kill me. Trying again, at least." She gave Ciel a sidelong glance, smirking. "Right?"

Ciel nodded, saying nothing.

"So," she continued, "when does the plane leave?"

"Actually, we'll be going by boat. There's no airstrips on the island."

"Okay... so when does the boat leave?"

"Immediately."

Arcueid looked at her in disbelief. "Seriously?" She whistled and shook her head. "Photographer's gonna be upset."

"I'll take care of him."

"'Take care of him' take care of him?"

Ciel gave her an irritated look. "You know what I meant."

Arcueid smiled sheepishly. "I know, I know... just give me a couple minutes to call Shiki and get my stuff together, alright?"

"Very well. I'll be waiting in the lobby." Turning, she strode towards the door.

"Hey, Ciel."

Ciel stopped in the doorway, looking over her shoulder at Arcueid. "Yes?"

"I guess this'll give us a chance to catch up on old times, huh?"

She smiled. "I guess so."

\---

 

Satsuki looked down at the cordless phone in her hand, the steady beep-beep-beep signaling that whomever she was trying to contact - in this case, her father - was already occupied. Sighing, she set it down beside her seat on top of the washing machine.

"Any luck?" Takada asked from outside the open door.

She shook her head, not that Takada could see her. "Line's still busy."

"Oh..."

An awkward silence filled the two rooms as the dryer rumbled and churned away.

"Y'know, you can sit in here if you like. I _am _wearing a towel, so-"__

__"No!" Takada blurted out. "No, I mean... that's okay. Privacy and... and all that. I wouldn't want to, you know..."_ _

__"...make me uncomfortable?"_ _

__"Right, exactly."_ _

__"Oh, well... thanks."_ _

__Another awkward silence. Takada cleared his throat and, in a bid to change the subject to something slightly less embarrassing, said, "so, uh... I never did thank you for saving me back there."_ _

__She smiled slightly. "Don't worry about it. I save your life, you do my laundry... it all evens out."_ _

__He nodded. "Yeah... I just hope it didn't soak through and stain too badly."_ _

__"It's red on black, so if it does it shouldn't be too visible."_ _

__"I hope not..."_ _

__Once again, both sat there in silence._ _

__"Satsuki?" Takada asked._ _

__"Yeah?"_ _

__"Can I ask you a question?"_ _

__"Sure, go ahead."_ _

__"Where'd you learn to fight like that?"_ _

__"Dad taught me," she said offhandedly._ _

__The silence that followed was less awkward and more stunned._ _

__"You mean that..." Takada said slowly, "that your father taught you how to do... that?"_ _

__"Yup."_ _

__"...and your mother was okay with it?" he asked incredulously._ _

__"Yeah. Actually, she was the one who bought me the knife. Why do you ask?"_ _

__"I was just wondering. You're really good, you know."_ _

__She shook her head. "Nah, not really."_ _

__"I'm serious," he said, leaning to the side to look into the laundry room at her. "What you did there was just-"_ _

__"No, no, I completely lost focus after I fell off the platform and just sorta... flipped out."_ _

__"Yeah, but still... and that weird mind trick thing you pulled was-"_ _

__"Wait a minute," she said, confused. "What weird mind trick thing?"_ _

__"Don't you remember? Just as that... thing came out of the room, right after you threw me to the side?"_ _

__After a moment's thought Satsuki said, "I remember it coming out of the door towards me, then it making a mad lunge towards you."_ _

__"Nothing else?"_ _

__"No. Why, did something happen when I wasn't looking?"_ _

__"...no, not really," he replied, leaning back._ _

__"...oh."_ _

__Minutes ticked by as Takada sat there, pondering recent events._ _

__"So what do you think we should do now?" he inquired. "I mean, we could go to the police about this, but provided that they even listen to us that still doesn't change the fact that people are dying and you're the prime suspect. Well, they may be dying but they're not _staying_ dead. I don't know," he mumbled, scratching his head. "This is completely bizarre. What do you think?"_ _

__No response. He leaned over and looked behind him into the laundry room again. "Hey, are you listening to me?"_ _

__Satsuki's head was slumped forward, eyes closed, with clumped strands of damp hair hanging down on either side of her face. Her hands were in her lap clutching her knife, and her bare legs dangled limply over the edge of the washing machine. Every so often she let out a low snore which indicated that no, she was not listening to him and had not been for some time now._ _

__"...figures," he groaned. Not that he could blame her, though, what with everything that's been happening to her. Smiling inwardly, he looked up at her. It's not every day that a girl is prepared to fight to the death to save you, least of all one with such incredible legs and-_ _

__..._ _

__Holy crap, did he just think that?_ _

__Embarrassed, Takada stood up and walked away from the door in search of something to distract him from the knowledge that an attractive young woman clad in only a bath towel was asleep in his house. Suffice to say, he fared extremely poorly in this regard._ _

__\---__

> __  
> ?. EXT. POV SHOT - LARGE HOUSE - EVENING__
> 
> __The exterior is done up in a western-style ranch house with  
>  a short set of brick steps leading up to the front landing.  
>  The house looks to be upper-middle class, yet modest in  
>  size. The CAMERA begins at the bottom of the steps at eye  
>  level and slowly moves up the steps, eventually stopping at  
>  the front door.__
> 
> __A hand reaches out and presses the doorbell, causing a  
>  chime to emanate from inside the house.__
> 
> __M. VOICE (OS)  
>  I'll be right there.__
> 
> __Seconds pass, during which time the camera glances to the  
>  right, then to the left, possibly in search of other  
>  people. Said people are nowhere to be found. The sound of  
>  a latch unlocking is heard and the camera snaps back  
>  towards the door. It opens to reveal a very familiar,  
>  albeit older man in glasses and casual clothing.__
> 
> __SHIKI  
>  I was wondering when you w-__
> 
> __The camera zooms forward in a blur of motion, the screen  
>  going black before SHIKI lets out an anguished scream.  
> __

 __\---_ _

__The dryer let out a sharp buzz, startling Satsuki out of her sleep and causing her to let out a yelp of surprise as she tumbled off the edge of the washing machine and landed on her hands and knees on the floor._ _

__"Dad..." she gasped. Leaping to her feet, she flung the dryer door open and began yanking her clothing out and hastily re-dressing herself, oblivious and uncaring of the fact that her towel was now draped across the floor._ _

__"Hey Satsuki, did something happen?" Takada shouted from somewhere inside the house._ _

__"Someone's trying to kill my dad!"_ _

__"What?!" Rapid footsteps echoed through the house as Takada ran towards the laundry room, sliding to a halt just outside the door and promptly averting his eyes, mortified. "Are you seriOH geez!"_ _

__"Yes, I'm serious," she said, hopping on one foot as she pulled on one of her socks. "Someone just broke into my house and attacked my father."_ _

__"How do you know this?"_ _

__She turned towards Takada briefly to glare at his back before continuing to put her clothing on. "I had another dream, okay?!"_ _

__"But didn't you say that you thought you were the killer?"_ _

__"Takada, how long was I asleep?" she asked as she fumbled with the clasp on her bra._ _

__"Less than an hour, I guess. Why?"_ _

__Letting out an irritated growl, Satsuki tossed her bra to the floor and reached into the dryer. "So that means I'd have to wake up, get dressed in wet clothing, sneak out of the house, run home, somehow manage to _beat my father in a fight_ and then run back here." Pulling out her shirt, she slipped it over her head. "...and _nobody_ could beat my dad in a fight, least of all me."_ _

__"So your dreams are some sort of clairvoyance?"_ _

__"I don't know, maybe."_ _

__"But that doesn't make any sense."_ _

__"I know it doesn't make sense!" she snapped. "But someone's killing people and turning them into zombies and I'm not about to let the same thing happen to my father!" Satsuki slid her feet into her shoes and dashed past Takada, nearly knocking him over. Throwing the front door open she shouted over her shoulder, "I'll be back when this is all over, okay?" Before Takada could reply, she disappeared into the night._ _

__\---_ _

__Drumming his fingers on the table, Takada stared down at the book in front of him in abject apathy. Normally he was more than capable of breezing through things like trigonometry, but this night he found himself completely and utterly incapable of focusing, a fact that he pinned on recent events. How, precisely, is one supposed to go from having your best friend confess some involvement in a series of murders, encountering the walking dead and helping said best friend sneak back to your house after killing said walking dead so she can get cleaned up to something as utterly mundane as homework?_ _

__Pushing his book away, Takada leaned forward and rested his head on the table before glancing down at his watch._ _

__"Only thirty minutes..."_ _

__Thirty minutes since Satsuki ran out of his house because she dreamed that her father was in danger. It seemed utterly ridiculous, but she seemed so sure of it herself... and she had proven herself right earlier, enough so that he wasn't quite certain what to make of it._ _

__Quite frankly, he preferred it when reality made sense._ _

__Groaning, Takada sat back up and rubbed his eyes, pulling his book back towards him with his free hand. "Okay Takada, focus," he muttered to himself. Just as he was about to try to get back on task, though, he heard a loud thump at the front door. Startled by the sudden noise, he stared at the door for a second before slowly standing up and making his way towards it._ _

__Suddenly, the door was violently flung open and a haggard, crimson-stained figure took a slow, heavy step into the house, drizzling the floor with tiny scarlet droplets. Her head was slumped forward, and her body was covered with deep cuts from head to toe, the tattered clothing she wore remaining in place solely from the stickiness of the blood pouring from her wounds._ _

__Takada's first instinct was to run, thinking it another cadaver. It wasn't until he noticed the shallow breathing and stray spots of blonde hair underneath all the gore did he realize who it was. He dashed towards her, catching her in his arms just as she began to fall forward to the floor. "Satsuki?! Oh God, what happened to you?!"_ _

__Satsuki's raised her head to look at Takada with a vacant, open-mouthed stare, and it was then that he could see a thin, clear substance slowly running down her cheek from what remained of her left eye, mingling with the blood from the cuts on her face to produce a pinkish ooze that dripped down onto her torn shirt. With a pained moan, her eyes closed as her body went limp in Takada's arms._ _


	4. Chapter 4

The refurbished yacht churned its way through the ocean waters, the setting sun painting a trail of glistening points of light in its wake, with the sky above it painted in streaks of pink, purple and gold. Watching this small bit of nature's light show was Arcueid, seated on the stern railing in a manner that would be considered completely unsafe for anyone lacking a preternatural sense of balance. Over the low hum of the boat's motors she heard the creak of a door opening behind her and, looking over her shoulder, she saw Ciel step onto the deck. "How much longer until we get to that island, anyway?" Arcueid asked.

"No time soon, I'm afraid. Though fortunately for us our target isn't going to go anywhere in the interim."

Arcueid let out a low sigh and turned back towards the ocean. "I still can't get over the fact that the Church still sends people out by boat."

"The security for airlines has been increased to remarkable levels over the years, yet there's been nary a change when it comes to sea travel. When you factor in the equipment that's needed for some operations..."

"You know, I always wondered how you got all those knives past airport security."

Ciel smiled, making her way over to Arcueid's side. "My trade secret is out, I suppose. So," she began, leaning on the railing next to her. "I hear you have a daughter."

Arcueid looked at her in mild surprise before her chuckling to herself. "Oh, right. I keep forgetting that you're still keeping tabs on me."

"So how is she?"

She shrugged. "Well, we tried our best. I think I'm doing pretty good at this whole 'raising kids' thing, actually."

"Does she know?"

"About what?"

"About you and Shiki."

"...oh, that," she said, a bit too casually for Ciel's taste. "Easier said than done."

"How so?"

"Let's put it this way: Have you ever thought about how you'd explain your life story to someone?"

"As a matter of-"

"Your _whole_ life story?"

She faltered, "well..."

Arcueid leaned towards her. " _Including_ the parts involving Roa and the Church?"

"All right, I see your point," she replied testily, "but you can't keep it from her forever."

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Maybe saying, 'hey, your mom's a True Ancestor and your father can see the death of people and things' will come more easily as time goes on."

"..."

"So how about you?"

"What about me?" Ciel replied.

"Well for starters, are you seeing anyone?" She turned to look at the Mediator, only to be met with an irritated glare. "What?"

"Why is it impossible for married women to understand the fact that perhaps _some_ women define success by something other than getting married and spending the rest of their life being a stay-at-home mother? Perhaps I _like_ working for the Church and perhaps I don't _want_ to settle down just yet."

"Wow," Arcueid replied, taken aback slightly. "I'm sorry I asked."

"No, it's just..." she sighed, running her hands through her hair. "I just hear it every so often and it's starting to wear on me."

"Oh. Well, you know, I figured that maybe you were up to something that didn't involve killing the restless undead in the name of God. It's been pretty slow these past few years."

"I've been keeping busy," she said.

"...I see."

With nothing else to talk about, the two women turned back towards the ocean to watch the sun slowly set on the horizon. It wasn't until several minutes after that Arcueid spoke again.

"So, _are_ you seeing anyone?"

"..."

\---

"Miss Arima is right in here, sir," the nurse said, pushing the door open as she stepped to one side.

"Thank you." Takada gingerly stepped past the nurse into the hospital room and over to Satsuki's bedside. The young girl was lying motionless, an IV tube trailing down to a needle slid into her arm. Thick gauze strips were wrapped around her arms, over her left eye and, Takada presumed, elsewhere on the rest of her body. Her skin seemed unusually pale which, when combined with the pristine white of the room and the sunlight streaming in through the open window, gave the room an almost ethereal feel. Without turning around Takada asked, "could you leave us alone for a bit?"

The nurse nodded wordlessly and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Setting his schoolbag down next to a small table beside him, he reached over and pulled a thin metal chair over to her bedside before taking a seat, leaning forward and knitting his fingers together in his lap. "Hi. Thought I would stop by after school and see how things were going. I remember reading that one of the best things you can do for someone in a coma is to talk to them, so... here's hoping, right?

"In case you're worried, your father's alive. They found him lying outside the emergency room door of all places. He was pretty beaten up from what I understand, but he's doing fine for now. He still hasn't woken up, though.

"People were asking where you were today, so I told them that, uh..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I told them that you were in a car accident. I hope you don't mind. Katsuya was pretty upset about it... must be nice to have someone who cares about you that much, huh? I really hate having to lie to them, but I didn't think that I could tell them what really happened. Not that they'd believe me... heck, _I_ don't know what really happened. The only people who do are..." He trailed off, lowering his head.

After a long silence he swallowed on a dry throat and muttered, "I kept telling you to think about your future... some future this turned out to be..."

\---

Katsuya stopped just outside the school's main gate, shooting an irritated look over his shoulder at Nanashi. "Is there a reason you're following me?" he asked.

"I wanted to ask you something."

He stood there for several seconds waiting for her to speak before turning around and looking pointedly at her. "Well?"

"Your girlfriend is hospitalized, and yet you refuse to visit her. Why is that?"

"Just what are you implying?"

"I'm implying nothing, only stating a fact and asking a question."

Katsuya glanced to either side of him at the students trickling past him and out the gate. Reaching out, he gripped Nanashi's arm and brusquely escorted her off the school grounds and to the side, smiling and nodding politely to a passing gaggle of girls as he did so. Nanashi made no effort on her part to resist. Only after he was a good twenty feet from the front gate did he speak. "For your information I _have_ visited her, all right?"

"Once, by my count," she replied, pulling her arm from his grasp.

"I didn't realize that I'd have to be standing by her side every waking hour. Is that what this is about?"

"The Youichi boy visits her daily, you know."

"Probably jerking off over her like the little creep he is," he muttered. "Why are you asking me this, anyway? There's nothing I can do for her at this point; I'm not some miracle worker."

"I've not known you as one to give up so quickly..." She regarded him with an inquisitive expression. "Been having second thoughts about your masters' ambitions?"

"Don't you dare speak of me as if I'm some sort of slave," Katsuya growled, waving a finger in her face. "Just because nobody expects anything from _you_ doesn't mean you can act like I'm less of a person for-"

A low chiming sound emanated from Katsuya's pocket, interrupting the beginning of his tirade. Growling, he withdrew his cellular phone from his pocket, flipped it open and brought it to his ear. "Yes, what do you-" He winced. "...no, sir," he said, turning his back to Nanashi as his voice started to waver. "Of course not, sir. I was talking to- no, sir. It won't happen again, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir, I have. No, sir. No, sir... but sir, she's in a coma. How am I supposed to-"

The long stunned silence that followed was almost palpable.

"...y-yes, sir. But sir, her friend is- ...yes, sir. Yes, sir. Thank you, sir, good day." He slowly lowered his arm, looking down at his phone with an expression somewhere between shock and abject fear.

"It's nice to see that he's so concerned about you," Nanashi remarked.

Katsuya looked at her but said nothing as he turned and hastily made his way down the sidewalk.

"...truly a thing to be pitied," she said softly to herself.

\---

The hospital room was deathly still, with the only sound being the slow, rhythmic beeping of the EKG. Takada had long since fallen asleep by Satsuki's side, with his head resting on the side of her thigh and both arms draped across her legs.

Satsuki's eye fluttered open and she slowly sat up in the hospital bed, blinking repeatedly in an effort to bring the room into focus. She made an effort to shift her legs, only to notice that Takada's upper body was holding them in place. He stirred slightly and raised his head, looking out the window before pushing his glasses up and rubbing his eyes. Stopping suddenly, he lowered his hand and slowly turned to look at Satsuki in abject shock.

"Y... you're awake?!"

She nodded, not quite knowing what to say. "Yeah?"

His eyes began to tear up slightly before he reached out and wrapped both arms around her, nearly knocking her back onto her pillow in the process. "Don't do that!" Takada said. "Don't you dare scare me like that again! You're always running off and doing things without thinking, and, and..." He let out a low sob and squeezed her tightly as tears began streaming down his face. "You could've _died_ , Satsuki!"

She looked down at him with no small degree of consternation and lightly embraced him in kind, trying to recall the events that lead her to this moment. "It's alright, Takada. See?" She gently cupped his chin and tipped his head upward to meet her gaze. "I'm still here," she said, smiling softly.

"I know, but when you didn't wake up I thought that... that..." He tightened his hold on her, as if to assure himself that she was still there.

"'Didn't wake up?'" Satsuki was certain that she didn't want to know what that meant, but knew she had to ask. "How long was I out?"

He grimaced slightly and said nothing, turning away from her.

"Takada, how long?" she asked, a bit more forcefully than before.

Hearing the urgency in her voice, he finally relented. "...nine days," he mumbled, looking up at her in regret.

Satsuki felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. "Nine days?! It's been nine days since I..." She trailed off as the night came back to her in scattered bits and pieces: Her, running down the road and up the steps to her house. A figure carrying her father disappearing into the darkness. The pained struggle for her, now cut and torn, to return to safety.

Her father...

"I've gotta save dad!" she shouted, pulling herself free from him. She made a move to get out of the hospital bed, only to stop with a sudden jerk as the various wires connected to her body pulled taut.

"What are you talking about? He's-"

"Dad's still out there," she said as she hurriedly pulled the IV needle out of her arm and the EKG sensors off of her body. "Someone's got him, some-" She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and went to stand up, only to have her knees buckle and give way. She let out a yelp as she stumbled forward onto Takada, who found himself in the unenviable position of trying to hold her up and back at the same time.

"Calm down, your father's fine."

"The hell he is," she retorted, struggling to reach the door. "Some weirdo in a cape ran off with him when I showed up and-"

"He's in the hospital."

Her struggles came to an abrupt end. "...what?" she asked, visibly confused.

"I don't know how he got there, but the doctors found him just outside the hospital doors. He was beaten up pretty badly from what I gathered."

Satsuki lowered her head in thought as her left hand slowly drifted up towards the bandages over her eye. "Is he... dad's awake, right?"

He shook his head slowly.

Her expression hardened. "Let go," she said, resuming her efforts to push past him.

"Now where are you going?"

"After whoever tried to kill my dad."

"You need medical attention."

"I _need_ to stop whoever's doing this. If you think I'm just going to sit around while some... some freak is attacking innocent people..."

"The police can take care of it."

"Have they caught him yet?"

"Well, no, but..."

"Then I'll take care of it."

"You can barely stand up."

"Let go." She firmly pushed Takada back, swaying back and forth a bit before steadying out. "See? I'll be fine. I just need to stretch my legs, that's all."

"Are you sure? I mean, you still look a little pale. You've lost a lot of blood and-"

"God DAMN it, Takada," she exploded. "Lying around on my ass isn't going to make me feel any better, it isn't going to stop that maniac and it sure as hell isn't going to bring back my damned eye! Now if you're done trying to babysit me can we please just-" Her anger quickly faded when she realized just how shaken up Takada was by her outburst. "I-I'm sorry," she stammered, covering her face with one hand and turning away to hide her embarrassment. "It's, it's just been a bit of a shock to me and I, uh..."

"No, no," he hastily replied, holding up his hands. "It's okay, I understand. You've been through a lot and, um... I shouldn't be trying to tell you what to do like that."

"No, you're worried about me, and I appreciate it, but... it's just something that I have to do."

Takada looked at her for several seconds before smiling slightly and shaking his head. "...you're too stubborn."

She smiled back at him in kind. "Yeah, I am." With that, she carefully made her way past him towards the door.

"But there's one more thing."

"Yeah?" she asked, stopping and looking over her shoulder at him.

"Your father. Aren't you going to go see him?"

Her smile faded as she turned away. "You know, when I was growing up dad was always there for me. I mean, mom was there for me too, but I guess the things they say about 'daddy's girls' are right, huh?" She wiped her eye with the back of her hand. "He's always been so strong and calm and I guess... I guess I just can't stand to see him otherwise."

\---

The next two and a half hours were spent answering the nurse's various questions (no, she wasn't allergic to anything; yes, aside from some slight pain she felt fine; no, she didn't smoke or do drugs), signing stacks of forms and undergoing a final physical wherein the doctor prescribed an assortment of painkillers, antibiotics and ointments for her injuries. Following this, Satsuki and Takada - the former now dressed in a pair of faded khakis two sizes too large and a long-sleeved Yakult Swallows shirt - were finally permitted to leave the hospital.

"Whoever did this could have at least kept my uniform intact," she said, self-consciously adjusting the collar of her shirt. "I must look like a tourist in this outfit."

"It's not that bad," Takada replied. "You should be grateful that they had them on hand, actually."

"At least it covers up the bandages." She stretched her arms overhead, wincing slightly. "Aah, I just want to get home, take a bath and get into some decent clothing."

No sooner did she say that than a long, low growl emanated from her stomach.

"Or we could get you something to eat," Takada suggested.

"...or we could get something to eat. What time is it, anyway?"

Takada looked down at his watch. "About twelve thi- ...aw CRAP, I'm late!"

"Late for what?"

"It's Saturday!"

"So?"

" _School?_ " he said pointedly.

"Takada, it's only half a day." A small smile crossed her lips. "Besides, considering what you've been doing after school, I don't think that they'll hold it against you if you miss a few classes. Come on," she said, grabbing him by the sleeve and gently tugging him behind her as she walked. "I think I know a place around here."

\---

"You know, when you said you knew of a restaurant in the area I didn't think that you meant a chain..."

Satsuki glanced up from her beef bowl at Takada. "Wha'd you think I meant?" she asked, scooping a wad of meat and rice into her mouth with her chopsticks.

"I don't know; some out-of-the-way mom-and-pop place, I guess."

She gave a dismissive shrug as she raised the bowl, shoveling the last bits of rice into her mouth before setting it back down inside her first bowl and gingerly wiping her mouth with a napkin.

Takada wanted to ask how it was possible that a girl her size could eat two beef bowls in under ten minutes but decided against it. "Have you figured out just what you're going to do?"

"You mean about the killer?"

He nodded. "How do you plan on finding him? Or her?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure that whoever it is is a girl about my age, so that helps narrow it down a little... hmm..." She rested her head on her hand, staring into space for a moment before looking back at Takada. "Have there been any more killings in the news?"

"Not that I've heard. Whoever it is may have stopped."

"Or they just aren't finding the bodies," she said in a low voice, her thoughts drifting back to that fateful afternoon. "Probably isn't even human... but what I don't get is why she didn't kill dad. She had plenty of time..."

"Unless... she didn't plan on killing your father." He leaned in towards Satsuki, gesturing with his index finger. "What if she wasn't after him?"

"But she wasn't, why would she attack him?"

"To get your attention and draw you out."

"Why?"

"Because she knows that you're the only person..." he began.

"...who can 'see' what's going on."

"Right." Takada shook his head. "I still can't get used to that, though. The whole clairvoyance thing, I mean." Lowering his voice, he added, "as if the walking dead were normal."

"It all sounds alright, but... why me?"

"That's, uh..." After a long pause he shook his head. "I have no idea."

"Well, what about that guy in the cape? He had dad when I saw him, so he must've dropped him off at the hospital... but, why?"

"Maybe they're working together."

"So she tries to kill my father to get my attention, then-" Satsuki fell silent as she looked down at her hands, realization dawning on her. "...he was the one who attacked me. He had to have been!"

"You mean you don't even remember?"

She shook her head. "Most of what happened after I got home is a blur, but I definitely don't remember seeing another girl there. Maybe he was covering her retreat or something." She leaned back in the seat and sighed. "Great... I have some vampire zombie queen and her bodyguard trying to kill me and everyone in town for God knows what reason and I don't even know how to begin to stop them." Reaching into her pants pocket, she pulled out her knife and flicked the blade open, holding it up in front of her. "Still... if they do show up, I'll be ready for 'em."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point there's a deliberate branching of the story which, while mentioned and explained in the original posts (on the Beast's Lair forums), still confused people when it happened. The two branches will be clearly marked in the chapter headings.


	5. Chapter 5a

Satsuki reached up and brushed her hair out of her face, flinching slightly as her fingers passed across the gauze covering her eye. "Well, I'm home," she said as she walked up the stone path. "I don't know what I'm going to do, but I'm home..."

"Go back to school?"

She came to a halt and turned to face Takada, gesturing to herself. "Like this?"

"No, I mean... you know, in your school uniform."

"You mean the one with skirt that shows off all the bandages I have taped over those gaping wounds on my legs that have been stitched shut?" she queried, an edge of irritation creeping into her voice. " _That_ uniform?"

"Yes, but uh... we could probably get you some slacks or... or something." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm pretty sure that the school would allow it in this case."

Her expression softened and she sighed. "Sorry. Again." She shook her head. "I'm being a real bitch today, aren't I?"

"Considering what happened I don't..." he leaned to the side before stepping around Satsuki, staring at the house. "...wait a minute..." he mumbled, furrowing his brow in thought.

"Hey, Takada, what's wrong?"

"You said someone attacked your father, right?"

"Yeah."

"...and you ran into the house to save him?"

"Well, yeah."

"Do you remember what the inside of it looked like?"

"Umm..." she ummed, thinking back. "I'm not too sure, but when I left I think things were pretty trashed. Why do you ask?"

"Was the front door left open?"

"I don't remember. What's this got to do with anything?"

"Well, if the front door was left open then people could see into the house, which means that they would have found all the signs of a struggle. Now in that case you'd think that someone would've contacted the police, right?"

"Right..."

"So where are they? If not them, then at the very least some police tape or somesuch?"

"Man, that is weird." Glancing up at the house she added, "now that I think about it, mom should've come back home from her business trip by now. Something's seriously wrong, here..." She lowered her head, looking back at the door. "It seems like all I've been doing these days is opening doors that I don't want to open."

"Whoever was in there probably left by now. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

Takada immediately found himself regretting asking that question as Satsuki spun around and stared at him for several seconds before vexedly asking, "you _do_ remember what happened last time, _right?_ "

"But if it is another one of those things you'll know what to expect, right?"

"Maybe." Turning away, Satsuki slowly stepped up the path towards the door. "But I'd rather not take my chances against one of them like this." Coming to a halt, she drew her knife from her pocket, flicked it open and spun it around to an underhanded grip in one fluid motion. She laid one hand on the doorknob, glancing back over her shoulder at Takada before turning the knob and pushing the door open, hopping backwards and bringing her knife up at the ready... only to lower it again and stare, dumbfounded at what she saw.

The hallway stretched backwards about twenty feet, the walls painted a light peach and the floor a polished, unblemished dark wood. A small table, topped with several framed photographs, was set against the wall about halfway down the hall. No scratches, no blood, no signs of any struggle.

Satsuki raised her blade again and slowly crept forward into the house. She scanned the rooms for any signs of the vicious struggles, but in vain; everything had been returned to order so thoroughly that even she found herself wondering if the battles had even taken place.

As Takada came in behind her she lowered her arms, bowing her head. After a moment she said softly, "Takada."

"Y-yes?"

"Go home."

He blinked. "What? Why?"

"They tried to kill dad and they tried to kill me, then covered everything up so nobody would know what happened. Whatever's going on, I don't want you getting caught up in it as well. It's between me and them."

Takada frowned. "Satsuki, this isn't-"

"Takada!"

"..."

"...please..."

Saying nothing, he turned and slowly walked out the door as she stood there, motionless, listening to his footsteps fade into the distance.

"I'm sorry Takada," she whispered, "but I don't want to see anyone else get hurt..."

\---

Satsuki spent the rest of the afternoon carefully scouring her home in search of any unwanted surprises that may have been left in her absence, and was somewhat relieved - but still unsettled - to discover that everything seemed to be normal, save perhaps for the sudden disappearance of her cat. Odds were that she wasn't even in the house anymore, and Satsuki wasn't in much of a condition or a situation to go look for her.

Exhausted, she sat down on her bed before falling backwards onto her pillow, thinking back to what she said to Takada. She knew that he was worried about her and that he wanted to help, but even if he was okay with being put into dangerous situations, _she_ wasn't, and things were probably going to get worse before they got better.

Forcing herself up into a sitting position, she rubbed the back of her neck, trying to relieve some of the stiffness. Not just her neck; her entire body felt wooden, though she wasn't certain as to whether it was from her injuries or her inactivity.

A soak in the tub might help, she thought to herself. Come to think of it, she couldn't remember the last time she had a hot shower, and while someone may have taken care of it at the hospital for her - the details of which she was thankfully ignorant of - it certainly wouldn't do her any harm. Standing up, she plodded towards the bathroom, pulling her shirt off and tossing it onto the bed as she left.

While she was keenly aware of her injuries, it wasn't until she had shed her clothing and stripped the tape and gauze away that she had a chance to see how bad it really was: Five deep gashes across her legs, another five along her arms and six over her body, all sewn shut with heavy sutures. Despite their severity they seemed to be healing well - the wonders of modern medical science, Satsuki thought dryly - and she hoped that they wouldn't scar too badly. Inspecting her body in the mirror, she lightly brushed her fingers along the cut across her stomach. A fraction of an inch deeper and she would've had to carry her internal organs back to Takada's house. Still, though she still had no memory of the fight, she took a small bit of pride in the fact that none of her injuries were inflicted on her back.

As she looked back up into the mirror she noticed that the dressings covering her left eye were still in place; in the short time that she had been awake she had grown used to their presence. As much as she didn't want to see what was under it, she'd have to take it off eventually.

"It's now or never," she said to herself, and pulled the gauze away.

The flesh around where her eye had been was sunken and slightly reddish, with the lids hanging limp over the dark, empty pit of the socket. Grimacing, she turned away. She had seen worse - heck, she had _been_ worse - but that didn't mean she wanted to keep looking at it. Making a mental note to cover it up first, she pulled the shower curtain away and stepped in.

As the water cascaded down upon her body, she couldn't help but think about how she regarded her injuries with an almost casual resignation. Indeed, most other girls in her situation would probably be inconsolable. Then again, she did have more pressing matters to worry about than a few cuts, to say nothing of the fact that, having been taught how to handle a knife since the tender age of five, a few bruises and scrapes were not only expected but practically inevitable.

Satsuki didn't know where her father learned to fight so well, but she did know that her parents were worried enough about her to want to teach her how to protect herself... though she doubted that they ever expected something like this to happen, even in their wildest nightmares. She also knew that many others in the same situation would have hated it - and did, she thought, remembering bits of overheard conversations in school from classmates with more traditional parents, intent on having their children study kendo. She didn't quite understand why, though. Wouldn't any daughter want to spend time with their dad?

Her dad...

In a way, she was almost grateful that her mom wasn't around; they cared for each other so much that she would have been utterly devastated. Her being gone was only delaying the inevitable, though, and eventually she would return and discover what happened. On the other hand, she was still okay - at least, she assumed she was still okay - precisely because she wasn't here when it happened.

Drying herself off, she was struck by a sudden wave of exhaustion. She didn't know how, but somehow that shower made her feel even more run down. Re-applying her bandages in a fog - and thankful that her mom and dad kept plenty on hand in case of accidents during practice - she barely had enough energy left over to dress herself, pulling on a pair of panties and a t-shirt before collapsing onto her bed and falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

\---

The morning sunlight filtered through the window's white curtains, casting an ever-shifting silhouette onto Satsuki's sleeping form. She rolled to the side and winced as an errant shaft of light fell upon her face, holding up her left hand to shade her eye as she slowly came too. Blinking, she reached over with her right, fumbling around on the table next to her bed for a few seconds before finally getting a hold of her alarm clock and pulling it into her view.

9:35.

She glanced up at the window, then back at the clock before setting it back down. If she fell asleep around 4:40, she thought, then that would mean that she was out for nearly seventeen hours. Despite sleeping for so long, however, she still felt incredibly tired. While she had half a mind to stay in bed, a sudden pang of hunger convinced her that it was in her best interests to get something to eat instead. She really didn't feel like cooking, though...

Rolling out of bed, she trudged over to her closet and pulled on a pair of jeans, a white tank top and a dark violet hooded jacket. Scooping her phone, her knife and a handful of bills off her dresser, she left her room and headed outside, hoping that some fresh air and exercise would help to wake her up a bit.

\---

One hour, one trip into town and one meal later, Satsuki was feeling greatly improved. The fatigue she was feeling earlier was all but gone, clearing her head and letting her focus on the more important task of figuring out how to locate and stop the murderers that were, no doubt, still on the loose.

Leaning back in the restaurant bench, she took a sip of water and stared out the window, musing. All of the murders that she saw took place at night, she thought, so the easiest way to find them would to go out around that time and search for them. Unfortunately, the only way she could see what was happening and where they were was when she was asleep, and while she knew the town well, she didn't know it well enough to figure out where they were based on a few glimpses of back alleys and fields. Plus there was the matter of the victims not staying dead: She didn't know if they could make more of themselves by attacking other people, but she didn't want to take any chances. Fortunately they weren't that dangerous - at least, not to her.

Satsuki sighed, regretting not watching more police dramas. She briefly considered calling Takada for advice before deciding against it; he was probably still upset about what she said to him last night, and she still had reservations about dragging him into this again.

She was startled out of her reverie by the chiming of her phone, and quickly drew it from her pocket to answer it. "Hello?"

"Satsuki!" Katsuya's voice. "Thank God you're all right. You don't know how worried I was about you."

"Katsuya? How did you know-"

"I stopped by after classes Saturday. One of the nurses there said that you had checked yourself out. Where are you right now?"

"At Isana's. Why?"

"Stay there. I'll meet you in a few minutes."

\---

As she stood outside the restaurant, Satsuki couldn't help but feel somewhat self-conscious about seeing Katsuya - or rather, having Katsuya see her. She was pretty sure Akira - cynic that she was - would have something to say about men only being interested in appearances. If Katsuya was, however, it wouldn't explain why someone from such a traditional Japanese family would show interest in the only blonde in the entire school in the first place. She would have continued this train of thought but found herself cut short as she was spun around and pulled into Katsuya's warm embrace, barely having enough time to utter "Katsuya, I-" before being silenced by a long, slow kiss.

When he finally broke away he again pulled her towards him, holding her tightly. "I don't know what I would've done if I had lost you," he said softly.

"Thanks, Katsuya," she replied, returning the hug in kind. "It means a lot to hear you say that."

Pulling away, he said, "I hope they caught the bastard that did this to you."

She shook her head slowly. "I've been looking for them, though."

"The police haven't found them?"

"Not yet."

"Was it a hit-and-run?"

"What?"

"Takada told us you were in a car accident," he said, looking her over.

"That's... not really true. This is going to sound weird, but..." It's now or never, she thought. "Have you heard about the murders that happened recently?"

"Of course. They're saying that some nutjob's been going around biting people and draining their blood. With the way the news outlets are these days it's hard not to know about it."

"Well, whoever's doing it tried killing my father, then tried to kill me."

He furrowed his brow, clearly concerned. "Is he all right?"

She smiled wanly. "He's holding on. But..." Her smile faded. "...I think that whoever did it is going to try coming after either dad or me again."

Frowning, Katsuya pulled his cell phone from the pocket of his dress slacks and keyed in a number.

"Who're you calling?"

"My family," he said flatly, turning his attention to the phone. "Father, this is Katsuya. No, that's not necessary. Prepare one of the guest rooms in the mansion as well as the apartment in Tokyo."

"Tokyo?" she said incredulously.

"In addition, I'm going to need several bodyguards for..." He looked over at Satsuki. "What's your father's name?"

She blinked. "Huh? Oh... Shiki."

"...for Shiki Arima at Sendai City Hospital," he continued. "Depending on how this pans out we may need to move him somewhere safer. It is. ...perhaps not, but I'd be a fool to take any chances." He gave Satsuki a sidelong glance. "With any luck, yes. We'll discuss that later, all right? Just get everything ready. Oh, one more thing: Try to find the family's old tutor. I'd hate for this to ruin either of our chances for getting into Todai."

"Katsuya," she said as he ended the call, "that really isn't necessary."

"Satsuki, I refuse to stand by and let you be put in harm's way. My conscience wouldn't allow it if I didn't do something to keep the girl I loved from being murdered by some psychopath."

"Yes, but Tokyo? I mean, isn't that a little much?"

"No, it's not." He gently laid his hands on her shoulders. "You mean everything to me, and even though I may not have been there for you before, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you and your family are kept safe." His expression softened. "So please..."

After a minute of thought she asked, "you're sure my dad's going to be okay?"

He nodded. "I promise. Nobody will lay a hand on him, and I'll make sure he gets the best medical attention money can buy."

"...and you're going to keep an eye out for my mom to make sure she's safe when she gets home, right?"

"Of course." Smiling warmly, he added. "If it helps, think of this as me making up for not being able to spend time with you."

"...alright," she said finally. "But you know, you really are too good to me sometimes."

He leaned in, giving her another kiss. "It's the least I can do. Oh, before I forget," he continued, standing up, "was there anything you needed from your house?"

"No," she replied, almost without thinking. While she could list several things that she'd rather have with her - not least among them being a change of clothes - she suddenly found herself feeling extremely averse to going back home. But, she figured, it wasn't as if she was going to be there for that long, after all. "Sorry, I mean yes."

"In that case, I'll have the driver stop by your house before taking you to the mansion."

She looked at him quizzically. "You're not coming with me?"

"I've some family business to finish up here. Don't worry, I'll take the train."

"They sure keep you on a short leash," she replied, smirking.

He gave her a slight bow. "I am nothing if not loyal."

\---

The balding middle-aged shopkeeper wiped his brow with a handkerchief. "I really appreciate this, Mister-"

"Just 'Katsuya' is fine," Katsuya said.

"Eh? A-all right then, Katsuya. I'm real grateful for all o' this; this shop's been in two other districts and neither of the guys runnin' them've been half as understanding as your old man's been."

"You're still recovering from a robbery, we understand that," he replied reassuringly. "Furthermore, you've been here for several years now and not once have you missed a payment. Loyalty like that doesn't go unnoticed." He pushed the shop door open, looking at the shopkeeper over his shoulder. "Once you receive payment for what was lost, contact us and we can discuss repaying what you owe."

"Will do. See you 'round, Katsuya."

He gave him a curt nod. "Goodbye, Mister Noboru."

Stepping out of the man's shop and into the street, Katsuya smoothed his hair and let out an irritated growl. He knew full well that the only reason he performed such tasks was because his father was too meek and easily cowed to be anything but a figurehead, a sentiment shared by most of his family. While it did wear on him at times, he understood that the impressions he left his clients would not soon be forgotten, a fact he planned on capitalizing on when he assumed his place as head of the family. Pausing briefly to gain his bearings - if he was where he thought he was, the station would be three blocks north and two west - he stepped out from under the shop's awning... and into Nanashi's path.

"Somehow I'm not surprised that you'd be stalking me," he deadpanned, stopping.

"You were with the Arima girl," she said icily.

"I don't recall having to ask for your permission to see her."

"Whatever your plans are for her, cancel them. There's something unnatural about her."

Katsuya scoffed. "So you say."

"You do not believe me." A statement of fact rather than a question.

"...and why should I? You came here specifically to fuck things up, didn't you?"

"I confess, my motives were less than pure at first. But now, seeing her for what she is, I understand-"

"What _I_ understand," Katsuya interrupted, an edge of annoyance in his voice, "is that you can't stand to see us together so you start talking in riddles trying to intimidate me. 'Something unnatural.' Like what? Can you come out and say what's so 'unnatural' about her?"

"She wasn't in a car accident."

"How do you know?" he snapped.

"It's a simple enough matter to tell when someone is concealing the truth from me."

"Okay, so assuming that Takada is lying and it wasn't a car accident, what the fuck _did_ happen to her?"

After a few seconds Nanashi averted her gaze and said softly, "...I don't know."

"I thought so." He turned, starting to walk away from her. "You're delusional. I don't know if it's because you were left alone for so-" He came to a sudden halt as Nanashi's hand lashed out, clutching his arm tightly. He turned back in anger, only to be taken aback slightly by the pleading expression on her face.

"I'm telling you this because I'm trying to protect you, Katsuya," she said imploringly, "both as your sister and as your l-"

"Don't," he hissed through gritted teeth, yanking his arm from her grasp. "EVER. Use that word around me. Satsuki and I are going to be together, you understand? There is nothing - NOTHING - that you can do to stop it at this point."

"You're about to make a grave error," she began, composing herself. "I understand what she means to you, but I cannot allow you to continue your current course of action." Her expression hardened. "This situation must be remedied, and if you refuse to do so then I will."

"How? All you ever do is talk, and the only person dumb enough to listen to you is father." Muttering, he added, "for all the good it will do either of you." Walking away, he waved one hand dismissively. "Just crawl back under your rock. You've wasted enough of my time as it is."


	6. Chapter 6a

As the black sedan rolled up the driveway Satsuki leaned forward, staring intently at the mansion before her: A traditional white-walled, black-roofed two-story wooden building, its wings stretching out in either direction and lined with immaculately trimmed hedges. Having never seen Katuya's home before, it came as a bit of a surprise to Satsuki. She knew he was well-off, but it wasn't until recently that she understood just how well off he was.

The vehicle came to a stop outside the front door moments before it slid open, revealing a slim, impassive-looking, white-haired older gentleman in an ash grey suit. Striding towards the sedan, he briskly opened the car's rear door, nodding politely to Satsuki. "Welcome, Miss Arima."

Satsuki climbed out of the sedan, blinking in confusion at the man as he closed the door behind her. The trunk opened with a low click and he made his way over to it, picking up her duffel bag and slinging it over his shoulder before drawing her suitcase from the trunk, slamming it shut with his free hand. Bowing politely to her he said, "if you will be so kind as to follow me," before turning sharply on one heel and striding into the house, Satsuki following behind him a moment later.

In contrast to the traditional exterior, the inside was largely of western design: A wide marble-tiled foyer with white walls decorated with silk paintings, with the sliding doors being one of the few signs of the building's local origins. Waiting patiently near the hallway on the right side of the room was the butler, who nodded to her before matter-of-factly stating, "your room is on the second floor, second door on the right. Please wait here for a moment while I finish preparing it." After this, he turned and disappeared down the hallway, leaving Satsuki alone in the entryway.

"...wasn't really expecting this," she murmured. She scanned the room, taking in the decorations before her eyes fell upon a glass display case holding several sheathed blades. Intrigued, she made her way over to it for a closer look.

Four of the blades were katana of various lengths, all of which had deep red snakeskin-covered grips and scabbards, and steel tsuba decorated with images of vast, open plains dotted with thatched houses. A fifth katana rested below them, slightly smaller and plainer than the rest, with an unadorned iron tsuba and dark blue scabbard, the wear on both of belying both its age and its use. Beneath them all was a silver wakizashi, intricate goldwork criss-crossing its length. Inlaid in the grip were two symbols - coats-of-arms, Satsuki assumed, though the designs looked too modern.

"Madam Arima has some interest in the young master's collection?"

She glanced to the side to see the butler standing at attention some feet away. "Uh-huh. Family heirlooms?"

"That is correct." He paused to softly clear his throat. "The four you see there were forged during the ninth year of the An'ei era." Satsuki furrowed her brow, a subtle gesture of confusion that did not go unnoticed by him. "In 1780, rather. They were commissioned by the first head of the clan for four of his sons, though they saw little use in the following years and were relegated to heirloom status around the beginning of the Meiji period. The one in blue was the property of a gentleman who married into the family in 1892, and was passed down along with its companion blade. Several appraisers have estimated that it dates back at least as far as the early seventeenth century."

"They didn't check the date on the tangs?"

"No, the master insists that these are not be damaged in any way."

"I see... and this one?" she asked, pointing to the silver wakizashi.

"A gift from the CEO of Nori Industries, in commemoration of the merger that formed the family keiretsu in 1947."

Corporate logos, she thought. That explains it. She wasn't familiar with the companies, though...

"I can see that Madam Arima's interest is not merely a passing one."

She looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"Not many women your age would know how and where a sword is dated."

"Oh. Well, you know..."

"Does the madam's family have a collection of their own?" he inquired.

"Nah, my ancestors were probably just farmers or something." Looking around the room she asked, "is it okay if take a look around? I've never been here before, so..."

"By all means. Should you desire anything, do not hesitate to ask."

"Thanks."

\---

Katsuya strode through the front door, unbuttoning the top collar of his shirt. "Satsuki arrived without incident?"

The Butler nodded. "Yes, young master."

"Has she been all right in the meantime?"

"Yes, young master. She has been given the eastern guest room on second floor."

"Where is she now?"

"I believe that she is currently exploring the house. Prior to her arrival I took the liberty of securing any outstanding paperwork that may have been lying about."

"Good," he said. "Even when father's not here I shudder to think of how he can still screw things up."

"Shall I prepare lunch for you and Madam Arima?"

"Please. I'm going to go see if I can't find her."

\---

Several minutes later Katsuya came across Satsuki in one of the second-floor hallways, perched on a window sill as she gazed out across the town. "Making yourself at home?" he asked.

She quickly turned to look at him, slightly started by his sudden appearance. "Yeah. Nice place you got here."

"Thanks." He leaned against the wall across from the window, hands in his pockets. "I'm sorry for not inviting you over earlier."

"Don't worry about it." After a moment's pause she asked, "is your sister staying here too?"

He scowled, averting his eyes. "No."

"What happened between you two?" Quickly, she added, "if you don't mind me asking, I mean."

"Nothing happened between us, she's just insane."

"Insane?"

"Sociopathy and schizophrenia, along with God knows what else. Grandfather's tried several times to have her committed, but she's been able to convince all the doctors that she's fine." He looked at her questioningly. "You have seen how she acts, right?"

"Yeah, but she seemed nice enough to me."

"Probably because she thinks you have something that she might want."

"Well," she mused, "I do remember her saying that you talked about me. It might have been something that you said."

"She said that?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"When I met her in school, that was the first time I spoke to her in over six years. It doesn't surprise me that she'd do something like that, though."

"So something _did_ happen between you two."

"That depends on what you mean by 'something.'"

She shrugged. "A fight, an argument..."

"No fights, no arguments. We were just separated; father raised Nanashi and I was raised by grandfather."

"Why?"

"Grandfather was the first person to see Nanashi for what she really was. He said that she was bound to be a bad influence. I knew he was right, but it wasn't until later that I realized just how right he was. Plus he was unwilling to entrust the heir to the family with someone so... easily manipulated, we'll say. It's something I'm grateful for; if I ended up like my father I don't know what I would do." Katsuya looked out the window. "Still, I don't know why she's still in the family if father's the only person willing to put up with her." He shook his head slowly, pushing away from the wall. "I'm sorry if I came across as rude. This is a bit of a sore spot for me."

She nodded. "That's alright, I understand."

"Anyway, come on," he said, gesturing. "Lunch should be ready by now."

\---

She looked out towards the horizon, the last rays of the setting sun giving way to darkness. It had been half an hour since the van left the mansion, signifying the changing of shifts of security. Their replacements in turn would not be appearing for over seven hours, more than enough time for her to execute her task. Pausing briefly to discard her shoes and socks in a nearby trash bin, she crossed the street and walked up the side of the road leading to the mansion. Though she was more than capable of moving silently while shod, she refused to take any chances.

As she continued on into the darkness she eventually came to the corner of the mansion's stone wall, no more than thirty feet from the main gate. Scaling it was a simple enough task: A mere twelve feet high, the rough stonework made it almost pathetically easy to surmount, and she rolled over the top before landing silently on the other side. Concealing herself in the shadows, she took stock of her situation.

The building was protected by a half dozen guards: Two near the front door, one each patrolling the north and west sides, one by the servant's door to the south and one in the garden inside. They were talented, no doubt, but even in this day and age she doubted that they were armed with anything more than a knife or baton, both of which would be useless in stopping an attack they would never see coming. After continued observation, she noticed that all six of them checked in with the others at fifteen-minute intervals to ensure their own security. A sound plan, she noted; fortunately, eliminating them in that time span was well within her abilities.

To the side of the mansion were the servant's quarters, the occupants of which were either asleep or indisposed, posing no threat either way. One lone figure - the butler, she presumed - still prowled the mansion's kitchen. Though far less dangerous than the guards outside, he would still have to be subdued for his own good.

All that remained after that was _her_.

Reaching behind her, she drew a long, thin knife out from inside her skirt and unsheathed it. There was work to be done.

\---

"Man, this movie is _boring_." Satsuki sat back in the sofa, leaning against Katsuya's arm.

"You were the one who wanted to watch it," Katsuya replied, putting his arm around her.

"I know, but there wasn't anything else good on."

"I've some DVDs if you're interested."

Satsuki shrugged noncommittally. "Anything's better than this," she said, standing up and stretching. "I'm going to get something to eat. You want anything?"

He smirked. "You're making yourself at home pretty quick. No, I'm fine."

Pulling the door open, she stepped out into the hallway and made her way around the corner to the front staircase. As she descended towards the foyer, the sudden sound of breaking glass gave her pause. Pulling her knife from her pocket, she prepared to continue on but came to a halt again as a feminine voice called out to her.

"I know you're there," she said. "I can see you."

Carefully descending the stairs, Satsuki stepped into the foyer. "Nanashi, what are you doing..." She trailed off, staring. "...here...?"

Nanashi was standing in front of the display case, barefoot and clad in her black school uniform, a thin bloodstained kitchen knife in her right hand. Reaching in through the broken front pane with her free hand, she plucked one of the blades off of the rack before tossing the knife to the floor. "Yes, I believe this shall do quite nicely." Returning her attention to Nanashi, she unsheathed the blade with a flourish. "If you've any tricks planned, you'd best use them now."

Satsuki stared at her. "Nanashi, what're you doing? I thought we were friends!"

She let out a low, humorless laugh. "We _were_ , yes. That was until I found out you were lying to me." Looking at a point beyond Satsuki, she shouted, "brother, if you would be so kind as to come here. Satsuki has something to tell you."

Seconds later Katsuya stormed into the room, stopping suddenly as he spotted the broken display case and katana in Nanashi's hands. Turning his attention back to her, he made no attempt to mask his outrage. "What the FUCK do you think you're doing?!"

"I'm protecting you from her," she said coolly.

"Grandfather was right; you _are_ insane." He glanced about. "Where the fuck are the guards?"

"Dead." Then, to Satsuki: "As I was saying, I believe you have something to tell my brother."

She flicked her knife open. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Playing the fool?" Eyes locked on Satsuki, she began pacing the foyer. "I know you weren't in a car accident; the Youichi boy was clearly covering for you. Not that anyone with any sense would be fooled once they saw your wounds." She shot a pointed look at Katsuya before turning her attention back to Satsuki. "No, you were attacked, weren't you? You should have died... only you didn't. Care to explain why?"

"I don't know, okay? I don't remember what happened!"

"Convenient." She stopped pacing and raised the tip of the blade, pointing it at Satsuki's head. "Regardless, your survival is an error I plan on correcting. Things such as yourself shouldn't exist in this world."

Before Satsuki could respond Katsuya reached out and forcefully pulled her backwards by her shoulder, putting himself between her and his sister. "You think I'm just going to stand here while you threaten my girlfriend?"

"If you had any sense, you would. Besides, you're in no position to make demands."

Katsuya looked pointedly at the sword, then down at himself before slowly raising his head, locking eyes with her. "Aren't I?" he asked, leering.

The tip of the blade wavered and lowered slightly as Nanashi's expression softened near-imperceptibly. After a few seconds of hesitation she raised it again. "Katsuya, move."

"No," he said resolutely.

"She's a poison, don't you understand? She'll kill the family, and then she'll kill you. Do you honestly want that? Do you think your grandfather wants that?"

"I don't believe you."

The blade began trembling slightly as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Why not?" she demanded.

"Because you're insane."

"You're only saying what that old fool wants you to say."

"You killed half a dozen people and want to kill Satsuki, and for what? Because you think she's some sort of monster? Because I care more about her than some sociopath?" He snorted. "That sounds pretty fucking insane to me."

"You don't love her!"

"If I didn't love her I wouldn't be doing this."

Her entire arm shook as tears streamed down her face. "LIAR! You think I can't see?! You don't care about her! You _never_ cared about her! He's just using you, so why... why..." Her arm dropped as she bowed her head and fell to one knee, sobbing. "...I want to _save_ you, can't you _see_ that?"

Satsuki opened her mouth to speak, but cut herself short as Katsuya raised a hand to silence her. Turning his attention back to Nanashi, he said, "you're not going to be 'saving' anybody. You're going to put that sword down, and you're going to go back to the nut house, and you're going to _stay_ there."

The three stood there for what seemed like an eternity before the silence was finally broken.

"I love you, Katsuya," Nanashi said through gritted teeth, "and I will do anything to keep you safe."

The edge of the katana scraped across the stone floor as she took the grip in both hands.

"Even if it means that I have to hurt you to do it."

In the blink of an eye she was upon him, blade raised above her head.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

The blade fell.

...and glanced off the edge of Satsuki's knife, the edge of the katana missing Katsuya by a hair's breadth.

Quickly regaining her balance, Nanashi leaped backwards, eyeing Satsuki with a combination of hatred and amusement. "...I see. So that's how it is."

Katsuya gaped at Satsuki, now standing between him and his sister. "How the hell-"

"Why so surprised?" Nanashi asked bitterly. "Didn't you realize what you were getting yourself into?"

"Katsuya," Satsuki said, eyes locked on Nanashi, "get back."

"Are you insane?!" He grabbed her shoulder, trying to pull her back. "She's going to _kill_ y-"

For the briefest of moments, Satsuki could have sworn she felt his hand shaking before she shrugged it off. "If she wants to kill me, she can have her chance. Now get back."

After a few seconds of hesitation Katsuya finally relented, slowly backpedaling out of the foyer. Satsuki gave him a brief glance to ensure that he was out of harm's way; a momentary distraction, but a moment was enough. A blur of motion in front of her caught her eye, and she barely had time to jump backwards as Nanashi's blade passed through where she stood a split-second earlier. A second swing followed, and Satsuki retreated as the katana cut down through the air before her.

Advancing, Satsuki lashed out with two quick strikes from her knife. Nanashi leaned back to avoid the first as she raised her weapon again, blunting the second with the flat of the blade. With a flick of her wrist, Satsuki raised the knife's edge and hooked it around the back of the katana, pulling it aside before stepping forward again and swinging it across Nanashi's stomach. Nanashi leaned back and twisted her body away from the attack, avoiding disembowelment but still receiving a thin gash along the left side of her torso.

Satsuki knew that her foe had the range advantage. If only she could stay close to her and...

Suddenly Nanashi's arm snapped out, grasping Satsuki's wrist and raising it above her head before pulling her forward and driving her knee into Satsuki's gut hard enough to lift her off her feet. Satsuki let out a gasp of pain as she stumbled backwards, a tearing sensation spreading across her abdomen. Raising her sword, the black-haired girl swung it towards her opponent with the intent of cleaving her head from her shoulders, an attack that was narrowly avoided as Satsuki threw herself to the side. As she collided with the floor she felt another set of stitches in her left arm rip apart, and it was with some difficulty that she rolled back to her feet, using a nearby pillar for support.

No sooner had Satsuki recovered than Nanashi resumed her attack, lunging forward and thrusting her blade towards her foe's chest. Swaying to the side, she pinned the flat of the blade against the pole with the back of her right arm and lashed out in a quick jab with the other, catching Nanashi square in the nose. Recoiling slightly from the blow she stepped backward, barely avoiding Satsuki's upward knife swing.

The fight raged on, with neither side gaining the upper hand: Dodging Nanashi's onslaught, Satsuki closed the gap between them for a quick strike or two before being forced back again, starting the cycle anew. The few cuts and blows Satsuki did manage to land were minor at best, with Nanashi parrying many of the would-be mortal blows with an almost preternatural grace. If she was in pain she wasn't letting it show, her face still bearing a look of unbridled contempt.

While Satsuki was able to avoid Nanashi's blade, her hand-to-hand strikes were taking their toll on her. Being inactive for so long wasn't helping matters, nor were her numerous injuries. Worse yet, the sutures on several of her cuts had torn open and had begun bleeding anew, soaking through the bandages. Slowly but surely, she could feel her strength waning; the fight had gone on far too long, and now it was only a matter of when - not if - she would fall.

Unless...

Satsuki reached out, blocking a Cossack kick and getting pushed back a step before barely crouching in time to avoid another wide swing aimed at her neck.

-Now.-

With an inarticulate cry of rage she lunged forward with a straight slash, scarcely giving Nanashi enough time to draw her katana back towards her and block the blow. Drawing back her arm she struck again and again, a furious barrage of slashes, ignoring the pain and weakness in her limbs. The remaining bandages on her arm peeled off and fell away, newly-opened wounds dripping onto the marble floor as she struck time and again against Nanashi's defenses.

The attack had caught Nanashi off-guard at first - she admitted that she was not expecting such a desperate action from her foe - but once it began it was a simple enough matter to defend against the strikes with minimal effort, being as short as they were. It was clever of her to attack so relentlessly as to render a counterattack impossible, but such an attack could not be sustained forever; it was simply the last act of a dying animal that-

Nanashi's thoughts were interrupted as her foe's knife struck the edge of her katana, sending out a faint blue spark as it cleaved through it, breaking the blade in twain with a loud snap. She barely had time to realize what had happened before the knife swung back, tearing through her throat.

The broken blade tumbled from Nanashi's hands, and she fell to her knees as a torrent of blood began pouring from her wound, staining the floor and her clothing a deep scarlet. Clutching her throat, she stared up at Satsuki in disbelief, her breathing coming in shallow, ragged gasps. Her head lolled to the side, unfocused eyes fixed directly on her brother as she extended a trembling hand towards him. As the last of her life ebbed away, she mouthed "Katsu... ya..." before falling forward, unmoving, into an ever-widening pool of crimson.

The knife slid from her fingers as Satsuki staggered away from the body before her, fatigue and her injuries quickly catching up to her. Utterly spent, swayed unsteadily on her feet before falling backwards into the arms of Katsuya, who slowly lowered her to the floor, resting her head in his lap. "Katsuya," she began, "I..."

"Shhhh, don't speak," he replied, pulling off his dress shirt. Gently taking her right arm, he began wrapping it around the freshly-opened cuts to staunch the bleeding. "I understand; you were only protecting yourself."

She shook her head slowly. "Was... protecting you."

"She wasn't out to kill _me_ ," he said, tying off the makeshift tourniquet. "I can't believe you'd do something that dangerous. Don't you know how important you are to-" He glanced down at Satsuki before looking away, a brief look of guilt crossing his face. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have doubted you. Come on, we need to get you to a hospital..." Turning, he pulled her towards him and slid his arm under her knees, cradling her body as he slowly rose to his feet.

Despite the gesture, Satsuki couldn't help but feel a little put off. "Katsuya, I can still walk... I'm not helpless."

"Just think of it as me making up for lost time." Giving one last sidelong look at his sister's body, he started towards the front door. "Hopefully she didn't go into the servant's house..."

Just before he stepped outside, Satsuki spoke up again. "Katsuya."

"Yes?"

"Promise me something."

"Anything."

"If you take care of me... I'll take care of you. Deal?"

He smiled softly. "...deal."


	7. Chapter 7a

"Hello?"

"Hello, Satsuki."

Satsuki perked up, cradling the receiver. "Dad, hi! I was starting to wonder when you'd call. Are you doing okay?"

"Yes. How about you?"

"I'm fine."

"How's Tokyo?"

"It's... busy." She peered through the blinds of a nearby window. "I still can't believe how many people there are around here."

"Is Katsuya taking care of you?"

"We're taking care of each other," she replied, casting a glance across the room at her boyfriend, who looked up from his homework and smiled at her in kind.

"That's good to hear."

"..."

"..."

Satsuki's smile faded. "Have you... have you found mom?"

"It's going to be a little while longer, I'm afraid."

"You still don't know where she went?"

"...no."

"...oh."

"Don't worry, I'll find her."

"I know."

"..."

"...dad?"

"Yes?"

"We need to talk. Once you get back, I mean."

"All right. There's a lot of things I've been meaning to tell you, as well."

"Okay. Call again soon, promise?"

"I promise."

"Goodbye, dad."

"Goodbye, Satsuki."

Wordlessly, she set down the receiver. Approaching her, Katsuya asked, "is he doing all right?"

"He said he was fine, but..." She shook her head. "He just seemed sort of... not there. Like mom disappearing did something to him."

"Being attacked probably didn't help matters, either." Noting Satsuki's expression, he put a reassuring arm around her. "Don't worry, they probably caught the monster responsible for this by now."

"He's still out there."

"How do you know?"

"I can-" She cut herself short. "...it's just a hunch, that's all."

Inwardly she cursed herself, still finding herself unable to tell him the truth behind the incident and how it came to pass. The dreams had ended when she left home, though at best all that meant was that he had stopped killing and got away scot-free; with no way of knowing where he was she had no hope of finding him, and yet...

"Hey," Katsuya said, "you got real tense all of a sudden."

Shaken out of her thoughts she looked up at him. "Yeah, I'm just..."

"I understand that you're worried about your father and what happened back home, but you can't let it eat away at you." He pulled her close, embracing her. "If anything happens, we'll take care of each other. That's what matters, right?"

She smiled wanly. "Yeah... yeah, I guess it is."

\---

nder he trusts me more than father." Katsuya shook his head, watching the scenery out of the car's side window. Turning to Satsuki, he noted the look of discomfort on her face. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah," Satsuki replied. "I just kind of... zoned out for a while, there."

"You've been 'zoning out' a lot recently. I think you need to see a doctor."

"Daydreaming isn't an illness."

"What do you daydream about?"

She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. "I don't know, it's just... nothing."

"You can't tell me?"

"No, I mean I can't remember."

Katsuya glanced out the window, frowning slightly but saying nothing.

She sighed, bowing her head as she fell silent. After a moment she said, "I don't think I can do this."

"Do what?"

She gestured halfheartedly. "This. College. It's getting to be so bad that I can't remember half the things I hear in class, and even if I could I don't even know if it's want I want to do with my life..."

"Do you need some time to think about it?" he asked.

"I'd like to, but-"

"Then do it."

She looked over at him, slightly surprised. "What?"

"Take a year off if you need to. You still have time. Besides... being able to choose your own future isn't something that should be taken for granted."

"I-" She smiled. "Thank you, Katsuya." What was that in his voice, she thought? Sadness?

He returned her smile in kind. "Don't mention it. After everything that's happe

\---

"You know..." Satsuki began, walking alongside Katsuya, "I never realized how beautiful the campus looked in the spring."

Katsuya gave her a look. "You seem different."

"Do I?"

"Your mood's really improved these past few months. The time off must have done you some good."

She nodded, putting her arms behind her back as her demeanor grew more solemn. "You know, I... never really expected my life to turn out the way it did. It wasn't supposed to be this... this violent, or bloody. I never thought I'd be fighting for my life two times in as many weeks, or have my mother just... disappear one day. Now that dad's gone..." She fell silent, lost in thought for a few moments before speaking again. "But I'm not about to give up. I'm not even sure I know _how_ , to be honest. The only thing I can do is keep moving forward. The past might hurt, but that's all it can do." A beat. "Does that even make sense?"

"'Don't let painful memories tie you down,' you mean?"

"That's it. Although there is one thing from my past that I'd like to hang on to. When we get married-"

He looked at her, bemused. "Aren't we forward?"

She laughed. " _When_ we get married," she repeated, "I want to use my family's true name."

"Your true name?"

"That's right." She turned to face him, smiling. "Satsuki Nanaya."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of the first of two branches. The beginning of the other is listed as "Chapter 5b."


	8. Chapter 5b

Satsuki reached up and brushed her hair out of her face, flinching slightly as her fingers passed across the gauze covering her eye. "Well, I'm home," she said as she walked up the stone path. "I don't know what I'm going to do, but I'm home..."

"Go back to school?"

She came to a halt and turned to face Takada, gesturing to herself. "Like this?"

"No, I mean... you know, in your school uniform."

"You mean the one with skirt that shows off all the bandages I have taped over those gaping wounds on my legs that have been stitched shut?" she queried, an edge of irritation creeping into her voice. " _That_ uniform?"

"Yes, but uh... we could probably get you some slacks or... or something." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm pretty sure that the school would allow it in this case."

Her expression softened and she sighed. "Sorry. Again." She shook her head. "I'm being a real bitch today, aren't I?"

"Considering what happened I don't..." he leaned to the side before stepping around Satsuki, staring at the house. "...wait a minute..." he mumbled, furrowing his brow in thought.

"Hey, Takada, what's wrong?"

"You said someone attacked your father, right?"

"Yeah."

"...and you ran into the house to save him?"

"Well, yeah."

"Do you remember what the inside of it looked like?"

"Umm..." she ummed, thinking back. "I'm not too sure, but when I left I think things were pretty trashed. Why do you ask?"

"Was the front door left open?"

"I don't remember. What's this got to do with anything?"

"Well, if the front door was left open then people could see into the house, which means that they would have found all the signs of a struggle. Now in that case you'd think that someone would've contacted the police, right?"

"Right..."

"So where are they? If not them, then at the very least some police tape or somesuch?"

"Man, that is weird." Looking up at the house she added, "now that I think about it, mom should've come back home from her business trip by now. Something's seriously wrong, here..." She lowered her head, looking back at the door. "It seems like all I've been doing these days is opening doors that I don't want to open."

"Whoever was in there probably left by now. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

Takada immediately found himself regretting asking that question as Satsuki spun around and stared at him for several seconds before vexedly asking, "you _do_ remember what happened last time, _right?_ "

"But if it is another one of those things you'll know what to expect, right?"

"Maybe." Turning away, Satsuki slowly stepped up the path towards the door. "But I'd rather not take my chances against one of them like this." Coming to a halt, she drew her knife from her pocket, flicked it open and spun it around to an underhanded grip in one fluid motion. She laid one hand on the doorknob, glancing back over her shoulder at Takada before turning the knob and pushing the door open, hopping backwards and bringing her knife up at the ready... only to lower it again and stare, dumbfounded at what she saw.

The hallway stretched backwards about twenty feet, the walls painted a light peach and the floor a polished, unblemished dark wood. A small table, topped with several framed photographs, was set against the wall about halfway down the hall. No scratches, no blood, no signs of any struggle.

Satsuki raised her blade again and slowly crept forward into the house. She scanned the rooms for any signs of the vicious struggles, but in vain; everything had been returned to order so thoroughly that even she found herself wondering if the battles had taken place.

As Takada came in behind her she closed her knife and slid it back into her pocket, eyeing the walls suspiciously. "It's not safe."

"Huh?"

She turned to face him. "It's not safe here. I don't know if they tried to cover up what happened or what, but if I stay here it's only a matter of time before they show up again." She looked around uneasily. "For all I know they could've stuck a bomb in here or zombies under the floorboards or something. Plus it just... feels weird."

"Weird?"

"Yeah. I don't know how to describe it. It's just like... I shouldn't _be_ here." After a few seconds of thought she asked, "could you wait outside for a little while?" before striding away, disappearing around the corner before Takada had a chance to ask why. Sighing, he stepped outside and resigned himself to waiting on the steps.

About ten minutes later Satsuki walked out, closing and locking the door behind her. A lumpy white duffel bag was slung over her shoulder, stuffed with what Takada presumed was clothing. "I couldn't find Len," she said. "She's gonna have to fend for herself for the time being."

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Somewhere else."

There was a resoluteness about how she said that that Takada didn't exactly find comforting. "Where?"

"I don't know," she replied, walking past him, "maybe a hotel or something. But I'm not staying here."

"So you're going to stay in a hotel while you try and hunt down a mass murderer all by yourself?"

Growling, she stopped and spun around to face him. "If you knew someone was out to kill you, would _you_ stay somewhere where they knew you'd be?"

"No, but I-"

"Then there's no problem, is there?"

"Where are you going to get the money for it?"

"I have money!"

"How much?"

Satsuki averted her eyes briefly before saying, "...enough," with a noted lack of confidence.

Takada could feel his composure slipping despite himself. "Look, at least stay at my house!"

"If I did that I'd be putting you in danger."

"But anything _did_ happen to me then _you'd_ be there, wouldn't you?"

The two fell silent, quietly regarding each other as Takada's statement hung in the air: Satsuki, wondering what Takada meant by it; Takada, wondering how Satsuki would interpret it.

After a few moments a small smile crept across Satsuki's face. "Okay," she said. "I guess I can't turn you down if you put it like that, now can I?"

\---

With a soft click the door unlocked and, pushing it open, Takada gestured for Satsuki to enter. Slipping her shoes off in the entryway she stepped inside, Takada following suit as he let the door shut behind him. "You can put your bag do-"

The duffel bag hit the floor of the hall with a dull thump.

"...down wherever you'd like."

"Sorry." Satsuki rubbed her shoulder. "It just felt like something was tearing, is all."

"Well, I could have carried it for you if you wanted."

"Don't worry about it." She poked her head into one of the side rooms. "Where's your dad?"

"America." He walked past her, talking over his shoulder. "There's been talk of opening a branch somewhere in... Hawaii, I think he said."

"Any plans on getting a vacation house there while he's at it?"

"I doubt it," he replied, ducking into the laundry room. "We don't have that much money lying around."

Satsuki nodded, plucking idly at the front of her shirt before pausing, pulling it towards her nose and giving it a few tentative sniffs. "...man, I stink."

"Did you say something?"

"Yeah, I said I-" She cut herself short as she spotted her bra dangling off the end of Takada's index finger.

Takada gestured, his cheeks reddening slightly. "You, uh... left this here."

She looked at him in disbelief before smirking, shaking her head and plucking it away. "Thanks. Anyway, is it alright if I use your bathtub?"

"Sure." He paused. "You're probably going to need more bandages, though. I'll be sure to pick some up when I'm out."

"What?"

"You're going to have to replace them eventually, right?"

"No, I mean, you're going out?"

He nodded. "I needed to get something for dinner anyway."

After a second of thought she said, "I should probably go with you, then."

"...why?"

"To make sure you're safe?" she replied, as if it were obvious.

Takada looked out the window. "It's still daylight out, so I should be fine. Plus, from what you described to me I don't think that whoever's doing this is so brazen as to try anything in public."

"...all right," she said finally. "But if anything happens, either call me or get back here as soon as possible, and make sure you're back by sunset."

"All right."

She put her hands on his shoulders, looking straight into his eyes. "Promise me."

"I promise."

\---

Satsuki leaned back in the tub and sighed. While the bath was relaxing, her thoughts kept drifting back to the killer and, more importantly, how she was going to stop her. She didn't have any clues as to who - or what - she was, aside from the rather questionable trait of "vampire," and no idea how to find her before she struck. The only thing she could do is keep her victims from attacking other people if - or when - they came back to life and hope that the killer left some sort of clue behind.

In a way, she was grateful that she told Takada. Even though she ended up putting him at risk, he could help her find and put a stop to whoever was responsible.

Raising one of her arms out of the water, ran her thumb idly along one of the scars. While still scabbed over, they appeared to be healing well, which was more than she could say for her eye: All that remained was an empty pit ringed with reddish, sunken flesh. It didn't hurt, though the sensation of air blowing into her skull was off-putting and she was leery about letting her head slide underwater for fear of what might happen.

What would Katsuya think, she wondered? Considering that he showed interest in the one girl in school who stood out like a sore thumb, she figured that he wasn't too hung up on looks - or, if he was, he had some sort of thing for blondes; Satsuki didn't think this unusual, only a bit off-putting that it would be the only reason he was interested in her. Still, she cared about him, and the thought of having to leave him in the dark about everything that was going on pained her, even if it was for his own good. She didn't want to see him end up like her or, worse yet, her father.

Her father...

She turned her head and looked over at her knife, currently resting atop her pile of clothes. She hadn't really thought about it until now, but why _did_ he teach her how to fight, and why was her mother okay with it? Did they know something like this could happen? It was almost too far-fetched to consider, and yet...

"Too many questions," she mumbled, staring up at the ceiling. Time seemed to slip by without notice, and in the warm stillness of the bath, Satsuki's eyelid fluttered briefly before slowly closing as she drifted off to sleep.

\---

"Satsuki!"

Satsuki woke with a start, grasping at the sides of the tub and struggling to pull herself up before her head went underwater. Forcing herself into a sitting position, she took a moment to compose herself before replying, "what?!"

It came out sounding a bit angrier than she had hoped, something that, judging from the slightly cowed sound of his voice, Takada didn't fail to notice. "Dinner's almost ready."

"...so early?"

"Early? It's 5:30."

It was about this time that Satsuki realized she was sitting in a tub full of lukewarm water and had been for the past three hours. "Why didn't you wake me up?!"

"I didn't want to disturb you!"

She sighed, climbing out of the tub. "Right, right... give me a sec, okay?"

"All right." A few seconds later Takada said, "also, I was thinking that, uh... I could help you catch up on your schoolwork after dinner."

"I didn't bring any of it with me," she replied, drying herself off.

"Don't worry, I kept track of what you needed."

Hastily wrapping the towel around herself, she slid open the door and poked her head out, gaping at Takada. "You what?!"

Takada looked away, partly due to her disrobed state and partly due to the state of her eye. "I was worried about you, so I-"

"I have other things to worry about, Takada."

"You're not going to throw away your future for that, are you?"

"I'm not gonna throw anything away! I can catch up on this stuff later!"

He turned towards her. "How much later?"

"When I'm done."

"When will that be?"

" _I_ don't know! When I... I-" She growled. "Fine, I'll do it!" She slammed the door shut. "Just let me get some clothes on."

"Thank you."

"...you're such a nag."

" _Some_ one needs to act responsibly around here," he muttered, wincing as soon as the words left his mouth. Oh crap, he thought, I hope she didn't hear-

The door slid open long enough for Satsuki to give him a good, long glare before closing again.

"...crap."

\---

 

As the yacht continued to churn its way through the ocean waters, Ciel strode down its breezeway towards Arcueid's cabin, giving three sharp knocks on the door and pausing briefly before pushing the door open and making her entrance. "I've some good news," she announced. "We've only three more days' travel until we reach the island."

"Finally!" Arcueid fell back onto the beat she was seated upon, knitting her fingers behind her head. "Man, we really took the scenic route on this trip, huh?"

Ciel merely nodded, looking away.

"What's with you, anyway?" she asked as she stood up and approached her. "You've been really down for the past couple of days."

"..."

"It's about that guy on the island, isn't it?"

"...part of me is already regretting what we're going to do," she said, staring off into space.

"Ohhh, right. After everything that's happened you still trust him, huh?"

Ciel slowly nodded. "In a way, yes."

"But hey," Arcueid continued, leaning forward and looking up into Ciel's eyes. "People are counting on you, right? Even if you don't want to do it, it still needs to be done."

"It's strange hearing that from you..." she replied.

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry, I'm thinking out loud." She smiled wanly. "But I am interested in seeing you in action once again."

"Well, I might be a little bit rusty, but it'll come back quick enough."

Ciel nodded. "I suppose it will."

\---

> 16\. INT. POV SHOT - SHOP - NIGHT
> 
> The shop's interior is that of a modern convenience store,  
>  long since closed; all that remains are bare metal shelves  
>  and empty rows of freezers. The front door and windows are  
>  blocked by large metal shutters on the outside, but an open  
>  door leading to the back room lets in barely enough light to  
>  see.
> 
> The CAMERA is at eye level, at the neck of a man in his  
>  mid-twenties. The man's eyes are open and unfocused and his  
>  throat looks wet and slightly shiny in the low light.  
>  Lapping noises can be heard.
> 
> The lapping sound stops suddenly, and the camera pans up  
>  before turning around to face the far front corner of the  
>  store. There is a low thump as the body slumps to the  
>  ground, and the camera turns back towards the door and  
>  passes through it. The camera continues through an empty  
>  back room to the rear door of the store, pausing for a few  
>  seconds before a feminine hand reaches down and slowly  
>  pushes it open, stepping out into the back alley as the door  
>  makes a soft click behind it.
> 
> The alley is about six feet wide and situated between two  
>  grey stone buildings, with the ground paved over with  
>  asphalt. The camera pans up to a strip of starless night  
>  sky, bordered on either side by the backs of two buildings.  
>  It suddenly jolts upward, moving back and forth between the  
>  walls, rapidly rising before coming to rest atop the  
>  building it recently exited.
> 
> The camera pans over and slowly moves towards the far edge  
>  of the roof before rapidly increasing its pace, sailing off  
>  the building and across the narrow street in front of it  
>  before landing atop a lamp post. It turns before silently  
>  bounding along the tops of street lamps and telephone poles,  
>  the scenery blurring by as it passes from downtown to the  
>  suburbs in a matter of minutes.
> 
> The camera takes a sudden sharp turn to the right and flies  
>  forward, landing silently in the grass alongside a  
>  medium-sized two-story western-style home. It pans up to  
>  the open second-story window before slowly moving to the  
>  side, situating itself directly underneath, pointed up  
>  at it.
> 
> F. VOICE (OS)  
>  I know you've been watching me;  
>  trying to stop me.
> 
> The camera slowly pans back and forth, as if the speaker  
>  were shaking her head.
> 
> F. VOICE (OS)  
>  But I never thought you'd end up  
>  like this. (beat) There's no use for  
>  you when you're in that condition,  
>  so...
> 
> After a brief pause the camera sails upward, landing on  
>  the sill. Just as it it pans back down into the room  
>  the scene cuts to black.
> 
> F. VOICE (OS)  
>  It's time to wake up.  
> 

\---

Satsuki awoke with a jolt, finding herself staring out an empty window. She quickly sat up, glancing about the room in search of the girl while reaching behind her for her knife. Taking it in hand, she flicked it open as she tossed the sheet covering her aside, turning and rising to her feet before slowly backing away from the center of the room, weapon held out at the ready. There she stood, the room silent save for the slow, steady sound of her own breath.

Realizing that she was alone in the room she slowly lowered her knife, mulling over the girl's appearance. She said that there was no use for her in her injured state, Satsuki thought, but did that mean the girl was just using her? Assuming that assuming that it _was_ her and not simply a horrible, albeit non-portentous, dream.

Closing her knife, she reached up to rub her eye. As Satsuki's hand brushed across her bandages, however, she felt them shifting oddly. She drew her hand back in surprise, then gently pressed the bandages over her empty socket. Before they had an unpleasant amount of give, but now they seemed... firmer, like-

Her knife fell to the floor as she reached up with both hands, struggling to undo the wrappings holding the dressings in place. The cloth was tossed aside unceremoniously as she set to work peeling off the tape and gauze below it.

Satsuki pulled the last of the bandages away, and the world broke apart before her eyes.


	9. Chapter 6b

_  
cracking_

_splintering_

_breaking_

_breaking breaking falling falling falling backwards screaming head throbbing blood pounding what am I seeing **what am I seeing** reaching groping spinning scrambling _

_that noise_

_**that noise** _

_pursuing chasing dragging this creature on the ground screaming flailing hands around its neck just an animal just a *thing* rend it apart destroy it tear it to pieces end it utterly kill it kill it kill it **kill it kill it -kill it kill it-** squealing her name mocking her speech mocking **her** by existing so fragile so pathetic so_

"Sa... tsu..."  
  
  
The image before her resolved into a glassy-eyed Takada, both her hands clenched around his throat in a death grip. She jerked her hands away as she fell off him, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she scrambled backwards across the floor into the far wall. There she sat, gaping at Takada's prone form, his body lined with thin black cracks, the same cracks which covered the room, covered her, covered _everything_. "No..." she said numbly, "no, Takada- oh, God..."

Seconds ticked by, until slowly, gradually, Takada began to move, struggling to sit up before lapsing into a coughing fit. Standing up, Satsuki hurried over to his side, slipping an arm behind his back and propping him up. "Takada, I'm sorry, I didn't- I mean, she was here and I... she..."

As his coughing died down he glanced over her, his brain taking a split-second to register what had happened before his eyes went wide. Crying out in terror, he shoved her away before clambering to his feet and dashing down the hall away from her. "Takada!" Satsuki shouted, quickly giving chase.

Takada half-ran, half-fell down the stairs in his haste, falling to all fours before scrambling back to a standing position and making a mad dash for the kitchen, Satsuki trailing a few steps behind. Sliding around the corner of the counter he yanked one of the drawers open, fumbling around in the darkness for a second before pulling out a kitchen knife, holding it out in front of him with both hands. "Stay back!"

Satsuki stopped. In the dim light she could barely make out his face, but his heavy breathing and the way the knife shook before him belied just how scared he was. "Takada," she said slowly, "I can explain..."

"You tried to kill me!" he cried.

"I can explain," she repeated, as much for her benefit as Takada's. "She was here."

"Who?" he demanded.

"The vampire girl! She knows I'm here and she came here looking for me, and she... she did something to me. It's like she got into my head or something, but she knows I can see what she's been doing and..." She paused, struggling to find the right words. "I know you're scared of me, and I don't blame you. But I..." Sighing, lowering her head and softly said, "I knew this was a mistake. I shouldn't have dragged you into this. I'm sorry."

Satsuki stood there, head bowed, waiting for a response. After a long silence the kitchen was suddenly flooded with light and she squinted reflexively and shielded her eyes with her hand. Looking up, she saw Takada near the light switch, dressed in an undershirt and dark boxers. She noticed that he was still holding the knife, but at the very least he wasn't pointing it at her.

"If you really wanted to kill me, you..." He stopped, gaping at her. "Oh my God. Satsuki, your eye; how did..."

Her hand shot up to the left side of her face, and she gasped as she pressed against her cheek. "So I wasn't just-" She took a step back before turning and running for the bathroom, shouting, "a mirror! I need a mirror!"

Throwing the door open, she slapped the light switch as she turned towards the mirror over the sink. Staring back at her was her own disheveled face, lined with the same black cracks that covered the rest of the world, a deep, brilliant blue eye now staring back at her from what was once a hollow pit.

Her jaw hung open as she stumbled backwards into the wall, leaning up against it for support before slowly sliding to the floor. How did she do this, she thought? _Why_ did she do this? She was trying to stop her, and yet she didn't even try to kill her when she had the chance...

"Satsuki?" Takada shouted.

"I'm... yeah, I'm fine," she called back with a notable lack of enthusiasm. Slowly looking around, she traced the thin black cracks along the surfaces of the room with her eyes. As she followed one of the lines up the wall she winced as the dull ache in her head intensified, and she reached up and rubbed her left eye with the heel of her hand in an attempt to relieve the pain. As she did, however, the cracks she was following drew inward on themselves before disappearing completely. Bewildered, she drew her hand away and opened her eye, the cracks spreading back into view as a twinge of pain lanced through her temple.

"Are you sure?" he asked. He sounded closer than before but still remained well out of sight, almost as if he was keeping his distance from her. Not that she blamed him, Satsuki thought; she wasn't sure why she went crazy and attacked him and, worse yet, wasn't sure if - or when - it would happen again.

"...no. My eye's all messed up. There's these lines on everything, like the world's broken or something." She rubbed her eye again. "It hurts to look at them."

"Maybe there's something wrong with it."

"You mean besides it just _growing back?_ " Silence lingered for a few seconds before Satsuki stammered, "I'm... I'm sorry." She forced herself to her feet and shuffled out of the bathroom to see Takada standing some feet away from her. "Can I ask you to do something for me?" she asked.

"What is it?"

"I'm going to go back upstairs, and I want you to make sure that I can't get out of the room until the morning. Block the door or something, and if you think something's wrong with me again, just... get away as fast as you can. Go get help."

"But-"

"No, we're not arguing over this. Lock me in there. It's for both our sakes."

Takada hesitated for a moment before nodding. "All right."

"Thank you." Leaving the bathroom she trudged towards the stairs, Takada giving her a clear berth as she passed by. "If I'm still okay in the morning, then we can figure out our next move. If not, and something happens to me, then... I'm sorry."

\---

Takada slept fitfully that night: An hour's sleep here, fifteen minutes there, waking at the slightest sound before lying in darkness, listening for any movement in the house before drifting off to sleep again, the process starting again soon thereafter. Through all this Satsuki's room was utterly silent, a fact which only served to make him feel even more ill at ease. While he was afraid that whatever happened to her earlier in the evening might happen again, possibly with an even worse outcome, the thought of trapping her in there when someone was out to kill her - even if they didn't act when they had the chance - was insane.

The hours passed slowly, and eventually Takada woke to sunlight streaming through his bedroom window. As he sat up, he noted that he had made it through the night without further incident, something for which he was grateful. But what about Satsuki?

Climbing out of bed, he exited his room and eyed the door he was entrusted with last night: It was still in one piece of course, and still closed; the books he had wedged into the inside track to keep it from sliding open were a bit unwieldy but still worked admirably. He approached the door, hesitating for a few seconds before pulling one of the tomes out of the track and quietly sliding the door open an inch or so for a peek inside.

Satsuki was sound asleep in a chair, head bowed, knees drawn to her chest, with both arms wrapped around her legs. The cuts along her arms and legs had somehow healed almost completely since last he saw them, leaving behind thin, pale scars - not so obvious, but still noticeable. On the floor beside her was a pile of peeled-off bandages, light rust-colored lines coloring their lengths. There were no signs of violence, nothing indicating any sort of struggle... indeed, Takada couldn't help but notice how peaceful she looked. Several moments later he realized that he had been staring at her for quite some time and quickly set about removing the remaining books keeping the door closed, the warmth in his cheeks rising as he chastised himself for his actions.

As the door opened Satsuki let out a soft moan and raised her head, blinking in the morning light before covering her eye with her left hand. 

"Good morning," Takada said.

"Morning." She unfolded her legs, stretching them out in front of her. "Nothing else happened, right?"

"Nothing happened."

Satsuki stood up and stretched, yawning. "Good." Turning her head, she noticed that that Takada was still standing well outside the room, watching her intently with his hand still resting on the door. Realizing that he had been caught he pulled his hand away, averting his gaze with a guilty expression on his face.

"I'm going to get dressed and then start breakfast," he said quickly. "Come down when you're ready, all right?"

"Okay."

"Also, I left the bandages in the bathroom for you, but... you probably don't need them anymore... oh, hang on." He turned away away from her and disappeared downstairs, returning some seconds later carrying something small and white sealed within a cellophane package. "I found this," he said, tossing it across the room to her.

Inside the package was an eyepatch, consisting of a square of thick white cloth connected on opposite sides to a loop of elastic string. At the very least, it would be easier to manage than walking around with bandages wrapped around her head. "Thanks," she said. "You go ahead and make breakfast, I'll be right down."

\---

After donning a pair of jeans, white tank top and dark violet hooded jacket, Satsuki headed downstairs. Takada had, in the interim, set out a bowl of miso soup and rice for her, and was currently standing in the kitchen in a white button-down shirt and a pair of dark pants, nursing a cup of coffee. While she wasn't particularly hungry, she still felt it would be a good idea to make an effort to eat.

Several minutes into her meal Takada asked, "how's the eyepatch working?"

She blinked. "Actually... pretty good. I had to add a little padding to the back but it beats walking around with my hand over my eye."

Takada nodded, taking a sip out of his mug. A few seconds later he asked, "so, it just... grew back?"

"Huh? Oh... yeah, I guess. I don't know how or why, but even though she knows I'm after her she did it anyway." A beat later she added, "the least she could have done is made them match."

Takada pondered something for a moment before asking, "why _do_ you have red eyes, anyway?"

"I dunno. My mom was the same way, though, so it's probably genetic."

"Albinism?"

She looked down at her hand. "I don't think so. Can you be an albino if you only have red eyes?"

"It might be possible; I wouldn't know for sure."

Satsuki let out a sigh. "I should probably ask her when she gets back. Anyway, after this I was gonna go out and make sure that whoever the vampire killed last night doesn't get up and start attacking people." She paused, thinking. "Wait a minute."

"What is it?"

"Last night, before she did..." She gestured towards herself. "...this to me, she said that she could still use me, even though she knows I'm trying to stop her."

" _Use_ you?"

"Yeah, like I'm some sort of clean-up crew for her or something." She set down her spoon and stood up, walking towards the front door. "But even if she is just messing with me I'm not just gonna sit by and let her get away with whatever she's up to. There has to be some way to track her down."

"What are you going to do when you find her?"

"I'm gonna stop her." Reaching out, she pulled the door open. "Stay here. If anything happens, call me. I'll try to be back before dark."

\---

While the image of the murder site was still fresh in Satsuki's mind, the exact location eluded her. Judging from the direction she remembered the vampire coming from, Satsuki knew that she came from the north, but she was still fuzzy on how far north it was. While she had moved quickly it still couldn't have been that far, she reasoned - possibly within one or two stations. While she briefly considered asking for directions to the closed shop she saw in her dream, the thought of the suspicion this would arouse was enough to convince her that it wouldn't be in her best interests.

Shortly after arriving at the first station and stepping off the platform her phone began to chime, and she quickly drew it from her pocket to answer it. "Hello?"

"Satsuki!" Katsuya's voice. "Thank God you're all right. You don't know how worried I was about you."

"Katsuya, I'm sorry, but I'm kind of busy right now."

"Is something wrong?"

Yes, she thought. Something's very wrong, and I'm afraid that if I get you involved something will happen to you. "No, I'm..." She glanced up at the sky. "I'm just busy, that's all. Can we talk some other time?"

"...all right, I understand. You've been through a lot, but remember, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask; I'm here for you. Okay?"

"Okay."

"I'll see you later, Satsuki."

"Okay. Bye."

"Good bye."

Closing her phone, she stared at it for a moment before putting it back in her pocket. Even if it was for his own safety, she still regretted having to lie to Katsuya. She was puzzled about what he said just before they hung up, though: "you've been through a lot." How much did he know about what happened? If he did know the truth, he almost seemed too calm about it.

After leaving the station, Satsuki found herself wandering an unfamiliar town for the better part of an hour and a half trying to get her bearings, searching aimlessly for some sort of landmark that might let her know that she was on the right track. Stopping to check a map of the area in a local convenience store proved to be fruitless, as did following the all-too-numerous lines of telephone poles alongside the roads. The scenery did look vaguely familiar to her, although she had doubled back so many times (and may have zoned out for a few seconds once or twice) that it could have merely been her mind playing tricks on her.

As she contemplated taking a break to get something to eat she felt a faint tugging at the back of her mind, directing her to the north. It wasn't that she knew something was there so much as that she felt that she was supposed to know that something was there. She didn't know why or how, but at this point she was willing to follow any lead she could get, no matter how questionable.

Traveling away from the center of town, her path took her through a nearby commercial district, the well-maintained shops slowly giving way to older stores set up in aging stone buildings before fading to empty lots and abandoned store fronts. Eventually she arrived at a T-intersection in front of an old apartment complex, the bottom floor taken up by a row of closed convenience stores. Though the exteriors were stripped bare, the heavy metal shutters over the front of one of the shops made her next destination painfully clear.

Satsuki scanned the sidewalks and aging buildings as she crossed the street. While the road had been strangely empty for the past ten minutes, she couldn't help but wonder what would happen if the police happened to drive by and see her, or if someone else spotted her and decided to investigate. Fortunately all was quiet as she followed the block around and, after one last check, she slipped into the back alley, following it down to the convenience store's back door.

The rear entrance had once been barred by a metal latch and a heavy padlock; now, the lock was sliced open and discarded on the ground as the latch hung uselessly to the side. She reached for the knob, then stopped, thinking for a few seconds. Pulling out her knife, she flicked it open and pressed her back up against the wall beside the door. Reaching over, she turned the knob and gave it a tug, letting the heavy metal door slowly swing open before leaning to the side and peering in. After checking to see that the back room was empty she slipped through the doorway and let the door slowly close behind her, plunging her into darkness.

Satsuki groped blindly along the wall until her fingers brushed against the light switch and the room was filled with a dim light, though at first glance there wasn't much to see: A few bare shelves, a sink and a thin layer of dust were the only things of note; everything else had either been sold, stolen or moved out since it closed. The floor was covered in scuff marks, but on closer inspection there were other, newer ones leading from the back through the open door to the front of the store, bordered by a few droplets she presumed to be blood.

There was the faint shuffling of feet on tiling in the other room and she snapped to attention, raising her knife. She knew what to expect. She wouldn't be caught off-guard a second time.

Crouching, she dashed through the open doorway, the cadaver's arms swinging down a moment too late to hit her. Sliding to a halt, she turned to face it: Its throat had been torn open, the front of its shirt bearing large rust-colored stains, and as it slowly advanced on her she could hear faint wheezing as it struggled to make a sound. Its movements were smoother and faster than the last cadaver she encountered, though whether this was due to it being "fresher" or some other unknown factor was beyond her. While she knew would have to find a way to kill it for good, the only way she knew how - simply attack it until it succumbs to its wounds - was both risky and time-consuming. Still, she had no other choice. She yanked off the eyepatch, her headache returning as the cracks spread across her field of view. At this point a little pain was a small price to pay for depth perception.

The cadaver stepped forward and raked its arm down towards Satsuki. Weaving to the left to dodge the blow, she slid around it in the narrow aisle, leaving a bloody gash in its side with her knife. She pivoted to face its back and began edging away, hoping that it would follow her into a part of the store with a bit more room to maneuver.

Turning with an uncanny quickness the cadaver advanced, its arms lashing outward as it attempted to grasp Satsuki however it could. The first swing was easily deflected, the second dodged, but the third found purchase as it snagged the collar of her jacket and dragged her towards it. Satsuki pulled back, turned her knife around and drove it up through its hand, wrenching it around to a series of popping and snapping noises as she mangled bone and tendon.

Its grip slackened as blood oozed from the wound, dripping down onto her clothing. The cadaver let out a low gurgling sound as it pulled away from the knife and let go of Satsuki, its other hand lashing out towards her face. Raising her arm she parried it away, tossing her knife from her right hand to her left before grabbing its wrist and swinging her knife down, cleaving the fingers from its right hand. Before the cadaver had a chance to react she drove her elbow into its sternum, pushing it back just enough for her to turn and stab her knife into its heart. The cadaver's limbs flailed reflexively, one of its nails grazing Satsuki's cheek as she pulled away. She passed her knife back to her other hand and, as its arms lowered, took the opportunity to score two more quick strikes across its chest before backing away.

Now that both Satsuki and the cadaver were in an open section of the store, fighting it was child's play: Circle around, dodge its strikes, counterattack. Circle around, dodge its strikes, counterattack. It was nothing at all like the first time she had encountered one of these things; her reflexes felt sharpened and her mind focused, like sparring with her dad, only... more, and despite being locked in combat with the walking dead she felt this strange sense of calm and... enjoyment. It almost as if she was _meant_ to do this...

But despite her focus, she found herself distracted by the cracks across the cadaver's body, her eyes drawn to them time and again. She wanted to... no, she _had_ to cut them.

Ducking another clumsy swing, Satsuki raised her arm and swung her knife across her body in a stabbing motion as she aimed for one of the cracks, situated along the base of her opponent's ribcage. It sank into the cadaver with startling ease, and Satsuki slid it up along the length of the crack, the blade passing through the flesh and bone of its chest almost effortlessly.

The cadaver's arms fell limp to its sides as the cracks faded inward, thin seams of blood oozing out of its body in their place. It stood still for the briefest of moments before simply breaking apart before Satsuki's eyes, collapsing into a heap of raw, tepid chunks of flesh with a series of sickening wet thumps, blood splattering and pooling out onto the floor beneath the pile.

Gagging, Satsuki clamped her hand over her mouth, staggering away from the pile of meat on the floor before making a frenzied dash through back room the to the exit. Shoving the door open she stumbled into the alleyway, nearly falling but catching herself on the opposite wall. Leaning against it for support she slowly slid to the ground, numbly staring at the door as it swung closed.

Slowly, eventually, she began rising to her feet. As she stood up she felt the tip of her finger sink into the wall ever so slightly and looked over to see it poised over a crack in the stone. Quickly pulling her hand away she took a step back from the wall, eyeing the cracks around her in fear. She reached into her pocket for her eyepatch, but before she could put it on her attention was drawn to a tuft of grass growing out of a small crevasse between the wall and pavement. Kneeling down for a closer look, she realized that the cracks that seemingly covered everything else were missing from the blades.

Still staring at the grass Satsuki stood up, looping her eyepatch behind her ear and over her eye with one hand as she gingerly closed her knife with the other. Glancing behind her, she quickly headed down the alley towards the street.


	10. Chapter 7b

The front door slowly opened and Satsuki stepped into the entryway, shedding her shoes. "I'm back," she called.

There was a series of soft thumps above her, and a few seconds later Takada descended the stairs. "Thank God. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"What happened to your arm?"

"What?" Satsuki followed his gaze to her shoulder, only now becoming aware of the rust-colored blotches on her jacket. "Oh... it's not my blood."

"Weren't you worried that people might see that?"

"I didn't... I wasn't really paying attention. I just wanted to get away as quickly as possible."

He looked her over. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

After a second of silence she replied, "No. I'm kind of worn out, actually... I skipped lunch, so..."

Takada glanced up at the clock. 2:24. "No wonder you're tired," he said. He gestured towards the table as he walked into the kitchen. "Sit down, I'll make something for you."

She forced a smile. "Thanks." Pulling a chair out from underneath the table she fell into the seat, peeling off her jacket.

He pulled the refrigerator door open and stared into it, letting out a disapproving "hm." "Is a sandwich alright?"

"Yeah, that's fine." She drew her knife from her pocket, slowly turning it over in her hands. After a few moments of silence she finally asked, "Do you remember how I said that I saw cracks on everything?"

"Yes." He knotted the end of the bag of bread. "Why, did they disappear?"

"No," she replied, staring down at her knife, "they're still there. But I saw them on the zombie and... I don't know how to explain it, I just... I just felt like I had to cut them. I don't know why, it just seemed like that was why they're there. And then..."

"...and then?"

"...and then it just... fell apart."

Takada looked at her. "How? Did you cut off its arms and-"

"No, it... it's like if something was broken, and then you put it back together with glue but then you pushed a knife into one of the cracks and broke it apart again, only it's already in one piece and the cracks are where it's going to _be_ broken later on..." Satsuki looked up at him. "Does that make sense?"

He stared at Satsuki for a second before slowly shaking his head. "...no."

Her head drooped. "I don't blame you. For all I know some of this could just be in my head." She looked up again to see him holding an apple from the basket on the counter.

"But if it is real," Takada said, "could you show me?"

She stared at the apple for a second before saying, "alright, but not on that." She pointed towards the sink. "Pass me the bottle."

"Why?"

"Plants don't have lines on them."

He looked at her oddly but said nothing, replacing the apple as he walked to the sink, returning and setting the glass bottle on the table in front of her. Satsuki winced as she pulled the eyepatch away, flicking her knife open with her other hand. Poising the tip of the blade over one of the cracks she hesitated briefly before sliding it in, the knife effortlessly passing through the glass as it sank into the side of the bottle. There was a faint scratching noise as she pulled the blade through it, and a second later it split neatly into several pieces, falling apart on the kitchen table.

Takada recoiled, his wide-eyed stare flitting between her and the remains of the bottle. "How...?"

Satsuki closed her knife. "I just cut along the cracks," she replied, replacing her eyepatch.

He carefully picked up one of the pieces of glass, turning it over in his hands as he inspected the edges. They looked too smooth to simply be broken. "...and the cracks are on everything, you said?"

"Not everything. They're on buildings and cars and... and people, but not on plants or the ground. I don't know if she chose what I see them on and what I don't, but..." She trailed off, lowering her head as she fell silent again. A few seconds later she caught some movement at the edge of her field of vision and looked up to see Takada holding a sandwich on a plate in one hand and a small plastic waste bin in the other, himself setting the former down in front of her. "Thanks, but I'm not really that hungry anymore."

"Just try to eat as much as you can," he replied, scooping the cut glass towards the edge of the table with his hand. "I don't want you getting anemic and passing out in class."

"'In class?'"

"Yes." He gave the glass a final nudge, dropping it over the edge of the table into the bin. "We have school tomorrow."

She stared at him in disbelief. "My father is in the hospital, there's a vampire running around killing people and turning them into zombies, I'm the only person who can stop her and you want me to go to school?"

"Well... it- it's still important..."

"Takada," Satsuki said, leaning forward. "I think there's more important things to do than go to school and pretend that everything is alright."

"What are you going to tell the administrators? That you're hunting vampires?"

"I don't have to tell them anything! They don't care!"

"So what about your future?" he shot back.

Satsuki shot to her feet, leaning forward over the table at him. "The future can wait!" she said loudly. "That's why it's _the future!_ I have things I have to do _now!_ "

"What are you going to tell Katsuya, then? Or Akira and Ran, or... or Nanashi? They've been worried sick. Are you just going to let them keep worrying about you?" Satsuki's anger faded as she looked away guiltily, and he paused to compose himself. "If nothing happens tonight, would you at least consider going to class in the morning? Just to let everyone know that you're still all right after what happened."

After a moment of thought she sighed. "Okay. I guess you've got a point." She gave him a weak smile. "Someone needs to act responsibly around here, right?"

\---

The moonlight glinted off the night sea as the raft crossed the still ocean waters, the low rumble of the motor and the wind the only sound to be heard. At the bow of the craft sat Arcueid, watching as the yacht pulled away and slowly disappeared over the horizon behind them. "Couldn't we have come a little closer?"

"We can't risk drawing their attention," Ciel replied, guiding the craft towards the island. "It's for the best that they not know we're coming."

Arcueid shrugged and faced forward on her seat, watching as the silhouette of the island grew closer. Even as "in the middle of nowhere"  
went, this went above and beyond what one would expect. "It's really out of the way, though."

"I'm sorry?"

"I said it's really out of the way." she repeated, a bit louder. "Whoever it is that's out here really doesn't want to be found."

"They should have done a better job of hiding, then."

"I'd like to have seen them try." Pausing, she added, "just as long as I didn't have to travel there by boat."

\---

As they neared the shore Ciel cut the engine, letting the boat drift up onto the sand before she and Arcueid disembarked, dragging it up onto the beach. Ciel paused only to look back across the ocean from whence they came before nodding to Arcueid, and the two of them began their trek into the island's interior.

They pressed on through the leaves and underbrush, and after about twenty minutes or so they came across a small clearing, the earth in the center of it covered in ashes and scorched stone. Arcueid slowed to a halt, scanning the area. "This is odd," she murmured. "You're sure that this is the right island?"

Ciel said nothing, continuing her slow walk towards the other side of the clearing.

"Oh, there's a cave, isn't there? I should have guessed." A beat. "Ciel?"

She came to a stop, the heels of her boots clicking together. Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she spun on one heel to face Arcueid, drawing two sets of knives from the interior of her cloak. "Arcueid Brunestud," she said, her voice loud and commanding. "Under orders of the Church, you are hereby sentenced to death." She raised her arms, bringing the blades to bear. "May God have mercy on your soul."

Arcueid stared at her, uncomprehending. Shortly thereafter she slowly descended into a fit of giggling before doubling over, trying desperately to stifle her laughter. "Ohhhh, that's a good one! But if it's as bad as you say then we shouldn't be standing around cracking jokes." She shook her head, still smiling. "I have to admit, though, that you've still got it. I can see now why the Church still-"

The plants and earth around her shook and rose up as one as dozens of armed men made their presence known. Casting off their ghillie suits and camouflage netting they brought their rifles and crossbows to bear on the True Ancestor, their flashlights covering the clearing in a pale light.

Arcueid's expression fell. "...oh."


	11. Chapter 8b

"I don't get it," Satsuki said, walking next to Takada. "She's either laying low and not killing anyone, or she figured out how to stop me from seeing what she sees. I got lucky last time, but I'm not sure how I'm going to find her now."

"You don't suppose she's afraid of you?" Takada asked.

"If she is she didn't act it."

He nodded before looking down the sidewalk at the school gates. "Before we get to school I need to tell you something."

"What's that?"

"After you were attacked everyone asked me what happened to you, so I told them you were in a car accident."

"...and they believed it?"

"I think so. I wasn't about to tell them what really happened, and it seemed like the most plausible excuse at the time."

"Oh. Well... thanks, I guess."

"I probably should have told you sooner."

"Don't worry about it," she said as they passed through the front gate. "I'll figure something out."

Halfway across the main courtyard Ran was engaged in conversation with one of her classmates, and happened to glance in Satsuki's general direction. Doing a double-take, she gaped at her before hurrying away from her friend, shouting a few final words over her shoulder as she departed. As Ran neared her she exclaimed, "Satsuki, you're alright!"

Satsuki nodded. "Yeah. I was gonna stay home today but I thought I should come in to let everyone know I'm in one piece."

"I heard what happened to you. Did they ever find the other driver?" She looked up at her eyepatch. "What happened to your eye?"

"Oh, um... I forgot what the doctors called it," she said, looking at Takada.

Takada gave Satsuki a brief "what are you asking _me_ for?" look before saying, "scratched cornea."

Ran shuddered. "Eesh. If that's all that happened to it, you're lucky. I've heard horror stories." Her line of sight drifted to some point behind Satsuki, but before Satsuki could turn to see what Ran was looking at two arms came down around her shoulders, gently pulling her back against a young man's chest. She bristled slightly, only relaxing when she realized who it was.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," Katsuya said softly, kissing her cheek. "Please."

Satsuki looked over her shoulder at him, smiling faintly. "I'm sorry I brushed you off yesterday. I was kind of busy."

"You don't need to apologize. Just as long as you're safe."

She nodded, her smile fading. "Katsuya, I..."

He looked at her quizzically. "Yes?"

"...never mind. It's not..." She shook her head, pulling herself free from his embrace. "I'm sorry," she said, walking away, "I should probably get to class now."

As she departed from the group Katsuya began to reach an arm out to her, opening his mouth as if to say something. No words came, however, and he pulled back, clenching his fist. "Did anything else happen to her?" he asked, still watching her.

Takada blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"Did anything else happen to her?" he repeated a bit more forcefully, looking at Takada.

"I don't know for sure," he began, "but her father is still in the hospital. She's been worried about him ever since she woke up." It was not technically a lie, he reminded himself.

Katsuya looked away, and for a moment Takada could have sworn that he looked almost lost. Muttering an "excuse me," he departed, heading for another section of the school grounds.

Ran sighed. "I don't understand those two sometimes."

\---

Satsuki closed her locker, still kicking herself for brushing off Katsuya. Even if keeping her distance from him was for his own good, it certainly didn't _feel_ that way. When all this was over she had to make it up to him somehow, even if she couldn't tell him the truth...

She turned away in time to see a familiar head of long black hair leaving one of the classrooms. Moving past a cluster of students she trotted up the hall towards her, placing a hand on Nanashi's shoulder. "Nanashi, wait up!"

Nanashi stopped, turning to face her. Just as she saw Satsuki out of the corner of her eye, however, she spun around, her arm whipping out and grabbing Satsuki by the wrist. Almost reflexively Satsuki turned her arm downward, twisting out of her grasp and making a grab for Nanashi, only to have her limb parried away as the other girl stepped out of her reach.

Nanashi continued to glare at the bewildered Satsuki, but after a second she seemed to realize that people were staring at her and she relaxed, giving Satsuki a faint, courteous smile. "My apologies," she said, bowing. "You simply surprised me. I'm glad to see that you've recovered."

Satsuki looked at her oddly. "...right... thank you."

"Is your father well?"

She shook her head. "He hasn't woken up yet."

"I'm sorry." She paused. "If I may inquire about your eye..."

"Scratched cornea," she replied, almost automatically.

"I see. It is only when we suffer loss that we realize just how valuable things are to us. I pray that your father recovers quickly."

"Thanks." She glanced at the students walking past. "I should probably get to class. We can talk later, alright?"

She nodded, the faint smile still on her lips. As Satsuki turned and went to leave Nanashi said, "...and I pray that your eye heals. They are unique, after all; it would not do to have them concealed so."

"...thank you," Satsuki said hesitantly. She waved over her shoulder at her as she walked away, not wanting to meet her gaze. "I'll... I'll see you later."

\---

As Satsuki and Takada left the school, Takada remarked, "that wasn't so bad."

"Except for Mr. Ageda telling me I had this on just to be 'disruptive,'" Satsuki replied.

"That wasn't your fault. He still thinks you're dyeing your hair."

"Yeah, but-" Suddenly she stopped, turning her head and staring off at some unknown point in the distance.

Takada followed her line of sight, trying to figure out what caught her eye before looking back at her. "What is it?"

"There's more of them."

"...you can tell where they are now?"

"I... guess so." Looking back at Takada she said, "I might not be back in time for dinner."

"I'll keep something on the stove for you."

She smiled wanly. "Thanks."

"Any suggestions?"

"Whatever's fine."

"I'll pick something up on the way home, then. Stay safe, Satsuki."

She began to walk away. "I will."

\---

Picking up the small bowl on the counter beside him, Takada scooped the contents into the saucepan on the stove, stirring them into the mixture. Resting the spoon across the top of the pan he lowered the heat on the burner, directing his attention towards the knife, cutting board and remaining ingredients to his left. As he reached for the block of tofu he heard the front door open. "Welcome back," he said.

"Thanks," Satsuki replied.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah." Walking into the dining room, she set her bag down on the table. "I didn't have any problems this time. It was trapped in a drainage tunnel and I caught it off-guard. It didn't even have a chance to fight back." She fiddled with the strings of her eyepatch. "This probably makes it easier than it should be."

"That's not exactly a bad thing," Takada said, "is it?"

"Well, no, but I don't want to get lazy." She looked over at the pot. "Did you just start cooking?"

"Yes, a little while ago. Miso soup."

She nodded approvingly before pulling a chair out and dropping into it, watching him as he went back to cooking. As he began dicing the tofu she asked, "is it just me, or is Nanashi acting weird all of a sudden?"

"How so?"

"Well, for one thing, she freaked out on me this morning when she saw me."

He glanced at her over his shoulder. "Freaked out how?"

"'Almost got into a fight' freaked out. I haven't been around her long, but seeing her act like that was... really _off_. Then some of the things she said..." She paused, her eyes widening. "...and how she seemed to show up just around the time the murders began."

He pushed the cubes of tofu to one side of the cutting board with his knife before looking back at her again. "You think there's a connection?"

"I don't know," she replied, leaning forward. "Maybe."

"Have you thought about asking Katsuya?"

"What, about whether or not his sister is working with a vampire?" She mused. "Would he even know, though? They don't get along, but if that's the reason..."

Satsuki fell silent, lost in thought as Takada continued to prepare dinner. A few seconds later she broke the silence with, "it's weird... I trusted you with this more than my own boyfriend."

"We _have_ known each other longer than you've known him," Takada replied, scooping the contents of the cutting board into the saucepan.

"I know, but he's my boyfriend. Aside from you, he's the only guy who actually talked to me on a regular basis. I should've been able to trust him with this."

"It may have just been that I found you first when you were ready to tell someone." He picked up the spoon, giving the contents of the pan a few stirs. "Had it been him, things probably would have been different."

"Maybe..." she mumbled.

"You should probably go out on a date with him some time and tell him. Maybe he would understand."

She shook her head. "I don't know. I really don't want to drag him into this, and..."

Takada continued stirring the pan, staring down into the broth. "...and?"

"...and, well..." Satsuki wrung her hands, staring at the floor. "He treats me nice and he worries about me, but I don't look forward to going out with him as much as I did. In the beginning I was happy that someone was paying attention to me, especially since nobody else did for... for as long as I can remember. All the guys were interested in were normal Japanese girls."

"A lot of Japanese men find blondes attractive, though."

She looked up at his back. "Yeah, but there's a difference between some magazine centerfold and an actual person." Lowering her voice she added, "the red eyes probably didn't help much either..."

"Or Mr. Goto calling you a delinquent on the first day of class freshman year."

"Or that. But Katsuya... I liked that someone actually showed interest in me and was in love with me for once, but as it went on it didn't feel like I thought it was supposed to feel. I'm not sure if it was love or if I was just trying to pay him back for being the only guy who cared for me."

"You mean staying together out of obligation?"

"Yeah. It just seems dishonest to me, though. Like I'm leading him along or, or just using him."

"You've been though a lot, Satsuki. Maybe after things settle down-"

"No, this isn't out of the blue. I've been..." She sighed, looking forlorn. "I've been putting things off for weeks even before this trying to convince myself that things were alright. I mean, he's nice to me and all, and I guess he's a good friend, and I definitely don't want to see him hurt, but I..." She swallowed. "I don't know if I see him like that anymore."

By now the soup had been ready to serve for quite a while, but Takada continued to focus on stirring it more as an excuse not to look at Satsuki than anything else. It wasn't that he didn't want to do anything for her, it was that he didn't know _what_ to do, or even if he _should_ do anything.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"I... I really don't know what to tell you, Satsuki. I'm not the best person to ask when it comes to relationship advice." A moment later he said, "what about what you want?"

"What about what, now?"

"You mentioned that guys didn't show interest in you," Takada said. "But have you ever... been interested in any other guys that you've known?"

"Not really, no. Why?"

"I was just curious. Don't worry about it."

It wasn't until five seconds after this that Satsuki Arima realized just what Takada meant, and that she had just said one of the dumbest, most painfully oblivious things any human being could ever possibly say. Her eyes widened as she clamped one hand over her mouth. "Oh my god."

Takada shook his head as he felt his cheeks redden. "It's not important, Satsuki; you have other things to-"

"No, no, hold on a minute," she stammered, standing up. "Did, did you just ask me what I think you asked me?"

"You have other things to worry about and I apologize for bringing this up," he said, turning away from her as she walked around the counter towards him.

"You just-" She pointed back and forth between herself and Takada, blushing. "You just snuck that in there and I completely missed it and oh my god I am such an idiot."

"Don't worry about it; you're still with Katsuya and I-"

"Takada Youichi, you are _not_ going to turn this into something out of a dumb boring romance manga. Now stop messing with the rice cooker and _look at me_."

Wincing, he slowly turned to face her. Satsuki didn't know which of them had more of a reason to be embarrassed, but judging from Takada's expression he clearly thought he did. "You have a thing. For..." She pointed to herself. "...for me."

After some hesitation he replied, "yes."

"Was this _before_ I started dating Katsuya?"

"Sort of, yes."

"'Sort of?' Why didn't you _say_ anything?"

"I didn't know if the feeling was mutual, and I didn't want to get in his way."

She shook her head. "I can't believe you. So why did you ask me now?"

"I could fit it into the conversation without having it be too awkward, and I was hoping you wouldn't notice."

"Well, I did." She let out a low, humorless laugh. "This is... kind of a bad time."

"Sorry."

"Do you think we could... put this on hold until things get better? Because right now I..."

"I understand," he said.

"Great." She smiled. "Thanks."

The conversation was finally over but, much to Takada's dismay, the general awkwardness still hung in the air as he and Satsuki stood in the kitchen, looking at each other silently for want of a better place to be or better things to say. It wasn't before long that Takada began silently wishing for some sort of distraction so the two of them could move on to something, or _any_ thing else.

She furrowed her brow, looking at the stove quizzically. "Is it supposed to smell like that?"

That works, he thought.

\---

Arcueid pushed through the undergrowth, senses sharpened for any signs of the Church's soldiers. Even taking into consideration that she had spent an entire day on a jungle island hunting and being hunted by an unknown number of armed men under the leadership of someone who could politely be referred to as a knife-wielding nun ninja, she was still in decent health: Thus far she had managed to avoid getting any Black Keys _in_ her, though she certainly had enough scrapes and close calls in her frequent - albeit brief - skirmishes with Ciel. Judging from her behavior, Ciel looked as if she were using guerrilla tactics to slow Arcueid down, giving the soldiers time to attack. The blessed silver bullets didn't have anywhere near the effect on her that they probably thought they would, though. Unless of course they were trying to ruin her clothing with bullet holes and blood stains and slow her down from all the silver stuck in her, in which case, mission accomplished.

The crossbow bolts were another matter entirely. Reaching back, she took hold of the shaft of one freshly embedded in her back and, with a sharp hiss, pulled it free, the burning slowly fading. How many pieces of old crosses did they _have_ , anyway?

Off to the left she heard the snap of a bowstring, and she pulled her head back in time for the bolt to whip past her field of vision, embedding itself in a nearby tree. Turning, she charged towards the source of the attack, spotting a lone male form moving through the shadows. He attempted to flee, but in seconds Arcueid caught up and pounced upon him, hoisting him up by his neck as he struggled to breathe.

Even with her skills rusty from years of neglect, it would have been child's play to rend the flesh of the humans who had the audacity to stand before her, ripping their bodies to shreds before turning on Ciel. Yes, it would be easy to kill them.

Arcueid drove her knee into his abdomen, feeling something pop inside his ribcage as he let out a pained wheeze. Feeling around on his tactical harness with her free hand, she pulled out a handful of bolts and threw them away into the dense foliage. After taking a second to confirm that he was still breathing, albeit with some difficulty, she gently lowered him to the ground with a quiet "sorry."

Wounding them was another thing entirely.

"Easy" was a relative term, of course; she _was_ dealing with several dozen elite Vatican soldiers, trained specifically to hunt vampires, demons and, judging from their equipment, her. Still, they were only human, and even though they were prepared to lay down their lives in the service of their faith it didn't really seem right fighting them when they themselves weren't part of... whatever the problem was. Ciel wasn't being very talkative, much less in regards to why the Church suddenly decided that Arcueid needed to die.

There was a rustling above her, and she dove forward just as a hail of blades rained down through the palm leaves above her, ripping them to shreds. She broke into a sprint, kicking off trees, bobbing and weaving as knives embedded themselves in the terrain around her before taking a flying leap, landing near the far edge of the clearing where the fight first began.

Arcueid turned to see Ciel touch down some yards away from her, the lanterns in the clearing casting her in a pale blue-white light. Her expression resolute, she drew two handfuls of Black Keys from inside her cloak.

Arcueid _really_ didn't want to kill Ciel. Which was unfortunate, because Ciel didn't look like she felt the same way. "So do you feel like talking _now?_ " she asked.

Ciel lunged at Arcueid with a series of knife swipes, forcing the True Ancestor back in a series of bobs and hops before hurling both handfuls of weapons in her direction. Twisting out of the way, Arcueid barely recovered in time to raise her forearm, blunting the leaping side kick aimed at her head. "We have nothing to discuss!" Ciel shouted.

"No?" Swatting Ciel's leg away, she raked her other arm down towards her head. The Executioner somersaulted out of the way, returning to her feet in time to sidestep Arcueid's knee thrust. "How about we start with why you dragged me to an island in the middle of nowhere just to stab me in the back?"

"Don't act as if you don't know!" she shouted, countering with a straight punch to Arcueid's jaw. Arcueid was more more surprised than hurt by the attack, something Ciel was counting on when she drew another knife, thrusting it at her opponent's throat. The True Ancestor bobbed to the side, the blade nicking her shoulder and tearing through part of her blouse, and swatted Ciel's hand upward, knocking the weapon out of her grasp. For this she was rewarded with a reverse roundhouse kick to the side of the head.

As Arcueid reeled Ciel slowly advanced on her, pulling out a second Black Key and raising it for a downward strike. As she brought it down Arcueid lunged towards her, stopping the swing by grabbing her wrist and pulling her other arm back. "If I knew-" She drove her fist into Ciel's gut, doubling her over. "-do you think-" Another punch to the gut. "-I'd be asking?!" A shot aimed squarely at Ciel's face. Letting go of her wrist, Arcueid watched as Ciel stumbled away.

Regaining her bearings, Ciel shook her head to clear out the cobwebs before dabbing at her nose with the back of her hand. "Maybe you should have paid attention to what was going on around you for once," she retorted.

"I'm sorry if I don't spend all my time in a musty old church reading newspapers." In the blink of an eye she was upon Ciel, assaulting her with a series of swipes, the silver-haired woman ducking and weaving around them. "You're being really passive-aggressive about this, you know that?"

Ciel growled, catching one of Arcueid's arms. Throwing herself onto her back she planted a boot on Arcueid's sternum and threw her across the clearing. The True Ancestor turned in midair, landing in a crouch as Ciel returned to her feet with a kippup and turned to face her, knives falling into her hands from inside her sleeves. "Do you really need me to spell it out for you?" With a series of fluid motions she hurled the blades at the retreating Arcueid, punctuating each throw with an incensed shout. "You! Gave! Birth! To a monster!"

Arcueid skidded to a stop and whirled to face Ciel, backhanding a knife out of the air in front of her and sending it spiraling into the darkness. "How _dare_ you! What right does the Church have to come along and tell me that I didn't raise my daughter properly?"

"This isn't about raising a child," Ciel retorted, "it's about birthing a Dead Apostle!" Arcueid stared at her, stunned. "You brought her into this world, and now you have to face the consequences of your actions."

"'The consequences of my actions?' If she was a vampire do you think I wouldn't be able to tell?"

"Perhaps you would." She slung two more knives at Arcueid, less as an attack and more to keep her opponent occupied as she closed the gap between them, launching herself at the vampire with a flying back kick. Arcueid brought an arm up to block, retaliating with a hook only to have Ciel quickly crouch, the attack passing harmlessly overhead. She planted a hand on the ground, thrusting both legs up at Arcueid's stomach, knocking the wind out of her and forcing her away. "Or if you did perhaps you'd just ignore it!"

Arcueid paused for a second to catch her breath as Ciel returned to her feet. "What makes _you_ so certain that Satsuki's a vampire?"

"She's your child, isn't sh-" Ciel let out a yelp of pain as Arcueid's swing caught her in the jaw, knocking her off her feet.

"You know what I meant!" The foliage behind Arcueid shifted and a Vatican soldier crept out behind her, combat knife poised to strike. "If this was just about her being born the Burial Agency took long enough-" Without turning her attention away from Ciel she casually swung her arm outward, swatting the soldier back into the darkness. "-getting around to trying to kill me for it."

"The police found three bodies drained of blood in the region where you live," Ciel said, pushing herself up to one knee, "and you were on the other side of Japan when the murders happened. The only other suspect is your daughter."

"Or an actual vampire." She made a move to charge towards Ciel, stopping short as her foe somersaulted backwards, her boots passing through the space Arcueid's head would have occupied. "For all you know I could have been the only thing keeping them away."

"Don't be so arrogant!" She whipped a Black Key at Arcueid's head, drawing two more weapons before sprinting in after it, turning and spinning in a series of graceful cuts and swipes. Arcueid ducked the throw and attempted to block the first few attacks, but found herself taking evasive measures more and more lest she risk losing limbs in the process. "You must have known that this could have happened!"

Ciel brought both her knives down in an X-shaped swing, catching only thin air as Arcueid dove to the side. Reflexively, she turned and raised them to block as Arcueid swept a clawed hand towards her, snapping one of the weapons in half on impact. As she raised her other arm Ciel took to the air, springing off a nearby tree and sailing over Arcueid's attack before landing some distance away. Standing, she gave her an accusatory stare. "Do you deny it?"

"How could I?" Arcueid replied. "When Satsuki was born Shiki and I swore that if she was a vampire that we would kill her."

"So you knew it could have happened ahead of time."

The two charged at each other once again: Ciel swinging a knife at Arcueid's head, Arcueid ducking and retaliating with a rising one-two punch, Ciel parrying the attacks with the flat of her blade, countering with her own riposte that barely missed Arcueid's stomach. "There hasn't been much to go on when it comes to True Ancestors having children with humans," Arcueid said, swaying out of the path of another thrown knife, "so excuse me if we're not as pessimistic as your bosses." She swung her arms up, knocking Ciel's arms away before driving her knee into her abdomen. "You'd think taking responsibility for our child-" Palming her face, she hoisted Ciel up before slamming her back-first into the ground. "-would mean something to them!"

She raised Ciel up again, her body hanging limply in the air. Suddenly Ciel snapped to life, her right arm whipping forward as she rammed a Black Key through Arcueid's forearm. Arcueid let out a cry of pain, clutching her arm as Ciel dropped to the ground. Rising, she shoved her other weapon into the True Ancestor's ribcage, knocking her away with a roundhouse kick and lobbing another knife at her with a backhand toss, piercing her side. Rubbing her neck she spat, "how can you expect us to trust the same person who caused the problem to clean it up?"

Arcueid gritted her teeth as she grasped the handle of the knife and slid it out of her arm. "What about Shiki? Can you trust him?"

A brief flicker of shock registered on Ciel's features. "That- that's not relevant!"

She removed the second knife from her side, letting it fall to the ground. It didn't feel like it hit anything important, but it was getting hard to feel anything over the dull throbbing. "Why not? If-" She stifled a grunt in as she pulled last blade out from between her ribs, blood seeping into the few remaining white sections of her blouse. "If my daughter really _is_ a murderer," she said, tossing the knife away, "then he's as much at fault as I am."

Before the knife even hit the ground Ciel had closed the gap between them again, letting fly with a slow, wild and easily-avoided swing. "Are you going to claim that I seduced him?" Arcueid continued. "That he wasn't acting of his own free will all these years?" She brought her forearm up to block Ciel's jab, parrying away the following low hook with her right hand as she pulled back her left arm, slamming it into the side of Ciel's face as the Executioner countered with a straight right punch of her own, the strike connecting at the same time as Arcueid's. The combatants reeled from the force of the other's blow, staggering around each other in an attempt to prepare themselves for a follow-up that the other was in no condition to perform. "Or has that old woman," she panted, "already sent someone to 'save' him from his own family?"

"You think I would let them do that?" Ciel retorted.

Arcueid put a hand on her hip, gesturing with her other arm. "You don't have a problem with going after _me_ ," she replied.

"I would never let them kill Shiki!"

"Only the rest of his family. That's a little convenient for you, isn't it?"

Ciel growled, looking away. "You can _not_ be-" She turned back. "That was almost twenty years ago, Arcueid!"

"Then why are you getting upset?"

"I'm getting upset," she began, storming across the clearing towards her, "because you brought it up! I don't particularly _enjoy_ being emotionally blackmailed." She came to a halt well within Arcueid's personal space, staring her straight in the eyes. "Least of all by someone like _you_."

"You mean someone who's with the man you still love?"

"It's ancient history! I'm over him!"

Arcueid gave her a wry smirk, folding her arms across her chest. "Not over him enough to not get angry about it, though. I think I see why you're still sing-"

Her words were cut short as her head snapped to the side, her cheek stinging from the force of Ciel's slap. Bewildered, she slowly turned her head to face her, the Executioner's eyes burning with indignation. Arcueid blinked a few times as she tried to process what just happened, then scowled and replied in kind.

Ciel stumbled back a step, less from the actual blow and more from shock. Her hand flew to her cheek as she stared at Arcueid before clenching her fist until her knuckles turned white. "Oh that is _it!_ " she screamed, tackling her and sending them both crashing to the ground.

\---

By the time the remaining uninjured Vatican soldiers met up with each other and regrouped on the center of the island, they found their commander and the True Ancestor rather ingloriously rolling around in the clearing, clutching at each others clothing and limbs and swearing at each other nigh-incomprehensibly between exchanges of sloppy punches. As they turned their flashlights on them they froze, staring up at them as if their parents caught them doing something they weren't supposed to.

Arcueid was the first to react as she quickly scrambled to her feet, dragging Ciel up with her and putting her in a necklock before she could react. "Put your weapons down," she said coldly, "and back away. All of you." Ciel began to struggle against her grasp, but was dissuaded from any further action when Arcueid tightened her grip.

The soldiers hesitated, exchanging glances but still keeping their weapons trained on the True Ancestor.

"The most any of you have done is slowed me down, and I have the one person who stands a chance against me at my mercy. I've been playing nice so far by keeping every single one of you alive. Now _don't make me change my mind._ "

After a few tense moments one slowly set his rifle on the ground, followed by another, and another, until the entire squad had disarmed themselves, taking several steps away from their armaments.

"Good. I don't know how you got here, but it's probably faster than what we took." She inclined her head, gesturing behind her. "I want it on that side of the island in an hour. No tricks, and don't follow us. I'll know." Still clutching Ciel, she backed into the forest behind them, disappearing into the brush and darkness.

Once they were out of earshot Ciel said, "you wanted to talk. So let's talk."

Arcueid smirked. " _Now_ you do, yeah. I'm surprised you could keep up with me. You've still got it."

"As do you, I must admit."

"I still can't figure out where you keep all those knives, though."

"That's none of your business," she replied, slightly offended.

They fell silent as Arcueid continued to push through the undergrowth.

"I'm sorry," Arcueid said.

"It's not as if I haven't been asked before."

"No, it's about what I said during the fight. I know your reasons for doing this don't have anything to do with him, I just-"

"-just wanted to get under my skin however you could," Ciel finished. "You just wanted to be childish and petty, acting as if Shiki were a prize to be won instead of a man who made his own choices almost two decades after the fact, hoping that I would renege on my orders due to our mutual acquaintance."

She pouted. "I _said_ I was sorry."

Ciel let out a low "hnn." A few seconds later she said, "I didn't want this to happen, Arcueid. I don't know what possessed you to have a child, but you must have known that they wouldn't have been normal."

"I don't think Shiki's children had any hope of being normal regardless of who their mother was," Arcueid replied.

"Harsh words, even considering that your daughter is the prime suspect in a string of murders... and spoken by her mother, no less."

"What? It's true. Do you know how many times she got into trouble for bringing a knife to school when she was younger? She certainly didn't get that from _my_ side of the family."

"Yes, because you're _such_ a responsible person." Ciel winced as Arcueid briefly tightened her hold. "Surely you must have said something to her about it."

"It would've been hypocritical of us if we did. She stopped getting caught, anyway."

"You mean she stopped?"

"No, she just stopped getting caught. Anyway, my point is that between you, me, the maids and his adopted sister, if Shiki wanted to raise a normal family, he wouldn't get it." She paused. "Except for you, maybe. Aside from the part where you hunt vampires you're fairly normal."

"I don't know if I should be flattered or offended that you think I'm more ordinary than domestic servants," Ciel muttered. Raising her voice, she continued, "of course, he isn't very 'normal' himself, and you realize that this assumes some sort of predestination on all our parts as well; strictly speaking, he didn't have to pursue anyone in the romantic sense, let alone any of us."

"I guess not."

The leaves rustled around them as Arcueid continued to half-drag, half-carry Ciel across the island.

"So," Arcueid said. "What have you been up to?"

"I've been working as a teacher."

"Oh. Public school?"

"An orphanage, near Ussel." Arcueid giggled. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, I was just thinking about something I saw a while back. It's kind of fitting."

"It's nice to see you're so jovial considering the circumstances," she deadpanned. "I suppose you have some sort of plan in mind after this."

"Of course. Head back to Japan the quickest way possible, return home, kill the vampire and save my daughter. If Shiki hasn't already, that is."

"...and if she is the vampire in question? What then?"

Arcueid hesitated, and Ciel could feel the hold on her neck loosen slightly. After a few seconds she continued dragging the Executioner along, albeit a bit more slowly.

"...well..." she said quietly, "we'll cross that bridge if we get to it, won't we?"


	12. Chapter 9b

With the last toll of the bell the school day ended, and the students left their classrooms with varying degrees of urgency, heading for clubs, home, or simply to other parts of the building to meet up with friends. Or, in one instance, to continue hunting the walking dead, staying out later and later and causing her best friend to be worried sick as he sat at home waiting for her to return, hoping she came back in one piece, if at all, unable to help her against something that doesn't even regard her as a threat.

"So," Takada said, looking over at Satsuki, "are you h-" His words were cut short by two bickering girls, who pushed between them as they headed down the hallway in the other direction.

"-can't believe you have to _ask permission_ from your dad to stay out after dark," the first said.

"Shut up," the other snapped. "At least my dad gives a shit about me, unlike-"

He looked back at Satsuki, the latter now bearing a guilty expression. "What's wrong?"

"I'm going to the hospital." A second later she added, "to check on dad."

"Oh. Were you planning on heading out after that?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"I thought so. Just be careful."

"You always tell me to be careful."

"I know, but- ...just humor me, okay?"

"Hey, wait up!" someone behind them called out.

Looking over their shoulders they spotted Akira hurrying towards them, nimbly weaving past the other students before falling in step alongside Takada and Satsuki. "Don't you have soccer practice?" Satsuki asked.

"Canceled. Ran and I were thinking of heading into town. Want to come with?"

She shook her head. "I've already made plans."

"Again? You've been busy this week." She sighed. "Well, she'd probably get upset at me for bringing other people along again anyway." A beat. "Are you sure you're too busy to come? Because she's been talking about this one movie that just came out, and I just know she's going to drag me along to see it if someone else isn't there to stop her."

"Sorry."

"Damn."

"Is it really that bad a movie?" Takada asked.

"It's over two and a half hours long and the only commercial for it that I've seen was nothing but people in Meiji-era clothing staring at each other," Akira replied. "If I'm still awake twenty minutes in, it'll be a miracle." Peering down the hallway, she noted a familiar figure standing by the lockers near the entrance. "Youichi, you probably watch more movies than I do. Mind if I ask you for some suggestions?"

Takada blinked. "I... guess so?"

"Great. I'll see you later, Sats." She inclined her head towards the door. "Come on, Youichi." With that, she lead a slightly bewildered Takada out the front door as Katsuya approached Satsuki, the former two giving the latter a wide berth.

"I was hoping I could catch you before you left," Katsuya said. "We need to talk."

\---

Katsuya slid the classroom door closed before turning his attention to Satsuki, who looked ill at ease as she stood by the teacher's desk. It was fortunate that there was an empty classroom nearby, he thought, and her friends - or one of them, at least - getting a clue and giving them an opportunity for some time alone was doubly so.

"Satsuki," he began, "I'm worried about you."

"Katsuya, this-"

"Please, hear me out." He slowly approached her. "Ever since you came back from the hospital you've been acting strange. It feels like you've been pushing everyone away, going out to God knows where after school and acting like... like you're not yourself." Katsuya paused to gently brush a stray lock of Satsuki's hair back. "I understand that you're going through a tough time with what happened with you and your father, but you can't let this weigh you down."

"It's not that, it... I mean..."

"Do you have plans for tonight?"

"Yeah, I was going to visit my father."

"Tomorrow, then. We haven't gone out together in a while, and-"

Satsuki held up her hands. "No, no, I..." She sighed. "Katsuya. You're one of the nicest boys I've met, and I'm honored that you asked me to be your girlfriend, and I _do_ appreciate that you're so worried about me. But a lot of things have changed, and I just... I need time to adjust and deal with them, and I guess we're... part of that." She paused to collect her thoughts. "Our relationship, I mean. It feels like I've been leading you on these past few weeks, and you don't deserve that. You deserve a girl that-"

"It's never been about what I deserve," he interrupted. "It's been about what I want, and I want _you_."

"I understand, but I don't feel the same way as I did when we first met. I've heard girls brag about how they string boys along and play with their emotions, and I couldn't stand it if I ended up like that, or if you ended up being one of those boys." She lowered her head. "I'm sorry, but... I'm not sure I love you the way I did."

The silence hung in the air for a minute before Katsuya finally said, "so this is it, then."

Satsuki nodded.

"You won't reconsider?"

For a second Satsuki could have sworn the tone of his voice sounded almost pleading. "You should be with someone who can love you back, Katsuya."

Katsuya looked away, his expression unreadable. "All right." He nodded slowly. "All right. I understand."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't... don't apologize. I understand."

Katsuya stepped aside, letting Satsuki pass by as she slowly walked towards the classroom door. Pulling it open, she looked behind her and softly said, "I'll always remember the time we spent together, Katsuya. A girl would be proud to have a boyfriend like you." Smiling faintly, she turned the corner, disappearing down the hall.

He stared out the door as the shuffling of feet and scattered voices grew quieter and more infrequent, the school descending into near-silence. Katsuya raised his head, squared his shoulders and strode out into the hallway, closing the classroom door behind him. To his right he heard footsteps approaching him. He didn't bother looking to see who it was. He didn't need to.

"Here you are," Nanashi said. "I was wondering where you went off-"

Katsuya's hand lashed out, gripping her tightly by the arm. His face an emotionless mask, he began half-leading, half-dragging her down the hall from whence she came. As they approached the outside door he shoved it open with his free hand and continued storming across the clearing, the scattered few students remaining outside largely oblivious to their presence.

A short march later they arrived at a storage shed near the edge of school grounds, once used to hold sporting equipment but now left unlocked and empty. Katsuya flung the door open, shoving Nanashi into the building. She nearly stumbled for a step before sauntering in with her usual grace, turning to face her brother as he pulled the door closed behind them.

He stared at her expectantly before finally asking, "what did you do to her?"

"I've done nothing, brother," she said calmly.

Katsuya pulled his arm back before swatting her across the face, her head snapping to the side from the force of the blow. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?"

"As I said, I've done nothing."

Gripping her by the shirt collar, he slammed her into the back wall of the shed. "YOU _LIAR!_ " He pointed a trembling finger at her. "You _did something to her_. You got inside her head just like you got inside father's, and all those shrinks, and everyone that you ever wanted something from."

"Is it so unthinkable that she could come to this conclusion of her own will?"

That Nanashi could remain so calm only served to anger Katsuya further. "Everything started going to shit the moment _you_ showed up, and you have the gall to act like you weren't involved in it?"

"It was well on its way before I arrived. You were merely unwilling to see things for what they truly were. She would have broken up with you regardless of my presence."

Katsuya clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white from tension. "You lie."

She looked at him piteously. "I'm the only person who's ever been honest with you, Katsuya. I know that grandfather's been using you for your entire life. I know that you were only born because he wished it, that you only continue to live because you are of use to him, that you only believe what you believe because it serves his ends, and above all, I know..." She leaned in, lips nearly brushing against his ear, and whispered, "...that _you don't love her._ "

Katsuya shoved her away before pulling his fist back, letting out a guttural scream as he struck her across the face with all the strength he could muster. Nanashi staggered to the side before Katsuya dragged her to the ground by her shirt, kneeling over her and pounding on her repeatedly with a barrage of punches, either unaware or uncaring of the fact that she made no move to defend herself. "You sick fucking _ANIMAL!_ They should've smothered you with a pillow the second you were born!" Gripping her by the collar, he pulled her up until they were nearly nose to nose. "She. Means. _Everything_ to me," he snarled, "and I will do _anything_ for her. You got that?"

"You covet what having her would get you," Nanashi said sadly. "You wanted to prove your worth to a man that saw you as nothing more than a tool to an end-"

He shoved her back, rising to his feet. "Shut up."

"-and you fear failure because you cannot conceive of a future beyond the one he decided for you, simply because _he never let you_."

"SHUT UP!" He drove his foot into her stomach, sending her into a fit of pained coughing. Turning his back to his sister, he pushed the shed door open and said, "I should beat you to death here and now for what you've said and done, but I have more important things to tend to." 

Katsuya stepped outside as casually as he could, letting the door swing shut behind him. He scanned the school grounds as he pulled out his cell phone, checking to see if anyone was watching him and hoping that none of them could see how badly his hands were trembling.

\---

This was a mistake, she thought.

Standing by his bedside, staring down at him wondering if - or when - he would ever wake up, knowing that the person responsible was still roaming free and that she was still no closer to finding her than when she started. Trying to find the words to say, not knowing if he would even hear them.

Seeing her father at his weakest.

The man who raised her, scolded her when she failed her tests, took her to Tokyo three summers ago, gave her The Talk, cooked when mom was away (and when mom was home) and a thousand other things she always took for granted. He was supposed to be invincible and there when she needed him; he was a father, that's what they _did_.

She felt lost. More now than she had ever been.

\---

He was afraid. More now than she had ever seen him.

This was a given, of course; he wore it so plainly that she didn't even have to try and see what he was feeling. Judging from his words his relationship with the girl had come to an end. An inevitability, to be sure, but still something he refused to accept regardless of how better off he would be without her, whether she be partner or prize.

He was certainly not behaving rationally though, more importantly, he was behaving _predictably_ : Upon her loss, he would do anything in his power to get her back, regardless of what others may think of his actions. The old man had him trained too well for her tastes, though for once it was in her favor.

Nanashi dropped from the top of the wall, landing in the grass outside the gate. She had seen several of the family's black sedans drive past on her way to the manor - no doubt in search of that girl - and, for a moment, was concerned that she would have to take a less proactive approach to the situation. Fortunately she spotted of the cars still parked outside the front door, and she thanked her good fortune that they had yet to leave.

As she crept behind the foliage on her approach towards the manor she surveyed the situation: Two men in suits - repurposed bodyguards, no doubt - were standing by the passenger side of the vehicle, with a third leaning against the driver's door. A fourth was still inside, along with three of the manor's servants - none of them were near the bodyguard, thankfully; being forced to draw them into this would be... unfortunate.

Circling around to the side of the building, she pulled herself up through one of the open windows, quietly dropping off the sill to the floor below. In the restroom to her left was the bodyguard, still occupied and unaware of her presence. As she approached the door she heard the sound of rushing water, and shortly thereafter the man inside stepped out. Lunging, she slammed the the side of his head into the door frame, stunning him long enough to grab his wrist, kick his right knee out from underneath him and throw him to the ground forehead-first, knocking him out cold.

After dragging him back into the restroom she sorted through his belongings: A wallet with over ten thousand yen, a taser, a set of handcuffs and a half-dozen syringes filled with a clear substance that, considering the situation, was glaringly obvious in its effects and purpose. She emptied the wallet, shoving the bills into her pocket along with the taser. Contemplating the syringes for a few seconds, she uncapped one and injected it into the neck of the unconscious man, keeping the rest.

Closing the door behind her, she quietly padded through the manor to the entrance, giving the hired help a wide berth. There, on the right side of the foyer, rested a glass case containing the weapon of her bloodline. It had been years since she had seen it last; if nothing else, the old man kept it in good condition.

She gently ran her finger along the glass, tracing the outline of the plain deep blue scabbard as she contemplated her next move. Her first instinct was to simply break the glass, take the weapon and use it to dispatch the men outside as the came to investigate. It would be quick and efficient, though doing so would alert the servants who would, in turn, alert the old man, to say nothing of how inconvenient future interactions would become. A bit of probing, however, revealed that the glass case was not sealed shut, and with a further bit of effort it was tipped upward, affording her room to reach a hand underneath. Shoving the gaudy trinket in front of it aside she took hold of it and drew it out, gently letting the glass case back down.

Weapon in hand, she turned her attention to the matter of the three men outside. They were beginning to grow suspicious, no doubt due to the absence of the fourth, and two of them would have to be dealt with in a similar manner. Uncapping two of the syringes, she held them between the fingers of her right hand, carrying the katana in her left. Best, then, to not keep them waiting.

The men were, in Nanashi's opinion, painfully slow to acknowledge her coming through the front door, staring at her in stunned silence as she leisurely closed it behind her. Eventually they recovered their wits and drew their weapons, advancing on her.

The man on the left charged, thrusting his taser at her in a woefully depressing show of force. Stepping out of the way of his arm, she jabbed him in the gut with the end of her weapon, doubling him over and emptying one of the syringes into his neck before swinging the pommel of the katana up into his jaw and shoving him away. As he struggled to stay standing and conscious Nanashi turned her attention to the second man, deflecting his tonfa swing with her sheathed blade before snapping her fist out towards his nose, feeling the bones give beneath her knuckles. He barely had time to drop his tonfa and clutch his nose before she sank the second syringe into his chest, kicking out his knee as she stepped past him. As Nanashi laid her hand on the hilt of her katana the two thugs collapsed to the ground, unconscious, in perfect synchronicity.

By now the driver, having borne witness to the quick and brutal subdual of his two associates by an armed schoolgirl, was struggling to overcome his flight impulse. His taser fell from his shaking hand and he took a step backwards as she approached, his eyes darting to and fro for an avenue of escape. Before he could turn and flee Nanashi's katana was out in a flash, the tip aimed at his throat, and he froze, paralyzed with fear.

"Now then," she said coolly, "where are you all headed?"

\---

No sooner did Satsuki leave the hospital than she felt the familiar pull at the back of her mind, directing her to another one of the vampire's victims. They were appearing further and further away these days, probably not without reason; people would be more suspicious if several people disappeared in one small area, she thought. Either that or the vampire was on the move. She didn't want to think about what that would mean for her.

Taking the train was out of the question at this time of day, or at least finding room on a train was. A taxi was more expensive but did the job just as well, taking her to the edge of a nearby town. Half wandering, half following, she passed through back alleys and side streets, eventually finding herself before the locked fence surrounding an abandoned four-story hotel, the broken and desiccated exterior cast orange in the dim light of the setting sun. 

Suddenly the sound of conversation from somewhere inside the building drew her attention, and she spotted three shadows moving around in one of the first floor rooms. They sounded alive and, more importantly, not in a panic over seeing the dead walk, so odds were they didn't find what Satsuki was currently looking for. Noting that they were headed for the front door she retreated across the street. Taking cover behind a parked truck, she watched them climb over the fence and depart for parts unknown, talking casually about nothing in particular. As soon as they were out of sight she made her move, easily scaling the chain link barrier and dropping to the other side before hurrying indoors.

As bad as the outside looked, it was still far easier on the eyes than the interior: Several of the walls were vandalized, collapsed or torn down, either from the elements, people looking for scrap to sell or bored high schoolers. Loose ceramic tiles were scattered across the floor, and the carpeting was frayed with patches of mildew here and there. Despite the rest of the building's ruined state the staircases were, thankfully, still mostly in one piece, and she scaled them to the third floor landing, taking an uneasy solace in the belief that despite the occasional creaking of floor boards, the building was probably sturdy enough that it wouldn't give out under her feet.

Probably.

Satsuki crept down the hall, pulling away her eyepatch and pocketing it as she neared the hotel room door. It was one of the few that was still on its hinges, let alone closed, though the metal numbers had been pulled off an indeterminate time ago, leaving scratch marks and a faint "317" as the only sign of their former presence. That the door was shut and the building so quiet nagged at her she sidled up to the wall, but she forced the thought down as she mentally prepared herself.

She flicked her knife open, turning it around in her hand. Open the door, round the corner, target its cracks and strike. Nice and fast.

Turning the knob, she pushed the door open, sweeping around in a half-crouch and prepared for what lay beyond, but before her foot touched the floor from her first step she was already trying to bring herself to a halt. Stumbling for a second as she regained her equilibrium, she gaped at the floor: The cadaver's body lay in a pool of gore in the middle of the room, a splattered trail of blood pointing to its neatly severed head resting beside an old table.

The feeling directing her to the room disappeared, replaced by her instincts screaming at her to get out of there as fast as she could. She whirled, sprinting down the hallway from whence she came, slowing only so she could round the corner to the stairs. As she did a lance of pain shot through her left shoulder, and her arm felt as if it were burning from the inside out as it went limp.

Satsuki stumbled, letting out a surprised cry as she fell forward, reaching for the railing in an attempt to stop her fall. With her knife in her hand, however, she only succeeded in twisting herself around as she fell before the railing slipped from her grasp, leaving her to land roughly on her back and slide down the steps to the landing below. Left arm dangling by her side, she struggled to her feet as quickly as she could and continued her run down to the first floor, taking the steps two per stride. She stole a glance at her shoulder, only now noticing the thin, flat, silvery blade embedded in her flesh. Satsuki grit her teeth as she pulled it out, gasping in pain as she tossed it away. The burning continued to linger, and she wondered briefly if it was poisoned before hoping desperately that it wasn't.

As she hit the first floor she paused briefly to weigh her options: To her left was was the hotel's exit. It was a clear run to the fence, and while she couldn't climb over it with her arm the way it was she could cut it open and continue on into town, hopefully finding some way to evade her yet-unseen pursuer. Ahead of her was one of the ballrooms, a large, empty, high-ceilinged chamber with only three doors in or out.

Without a second thought she headed into the ballroom. Slowing to a stop in the center of the grit-covered wood floor, she turned to and fro, watching the entrances for the appearance of her assailant. She tried to raise her arm in the interim, but the best she could manage was to feebly twitch her fingers.

Through the door before her stepped a tall, dark-haired, long-faced foreigner, probably not even out of his twenties, in a long, deep blue coat and padded vest - armor, she assumed. He slowly crossed the room, silently regarding her behind the oval lenses of his glasses, nonplussed by her raised knife and resolute stare.

"Standing your ground?" he asked. His voice sounded tired. "I thought you would have fled this time." He reached into his coat, withdrawing a dark length of pole about half his height. Under his arms she could make out two sheaths of knives strapped to his vest, similar to the one she just pulled out of her shoulder. "She was right when she said that you ultimately weren't that dangerous. Now give up and I'll make this quick; even you deserve a sliver of mercy."

"You think I'm gonna just roll over and _die_ for you after what you did?" she spat.

"Need I remind you," he began, a hint of condescending amusement coming through the dead tone of his voice, "that you do not have the use of one of your arms?"

"I only _need_ one arm to stop you."

The man let out a short, humorless laugh before drawing his arm back, swinging the pole behind him. With a click two more sections slid out of either side, followed by a series of short blades rising up near one of the ends to form a wide metal crescent, ending with a long, sharp point protruding from the tip. Raising the halberd, he gave it a spin over his head before bringing it back down, taking the shaft in both hands and shifting into a combat stance.

Satsuki stared at him, dumbfounded, before mumbling, "...oh, no."

He charged, rearing the halberd back before sweeping it in a wide arc that would have cleaved her head from her body had she not ducked in time. The second swing came quicker than she anticipated and she wove to the side as he brought his weapon upward, the blade whizzing up past her head, just before he brought it back down through the space where she was standing a split-second before, leaving a thin crack in the floor. With a quick snap he dislodged it, the tip whipping up and hovering in the air for a split second before he advanced on her with a series of thrusts, keeping her on the defensive as she backpedaled out of the way of his assault.

A final, hard thrust shot past Satsuki's side, grazing the edge of her skirt. Spotting an opening, she quickly closed the gap between them as the man reached one hand into his coat. Turning her knife around, she swung it up towards his throat only for the man to catch it on the grip of a trench knife before shoving it away. She brought her arm down towards him again, and as the blades locked a second time she slid her knife along his blade's length, dragging it into and through one of the cracks in his weapon. A split-second later it broke apart into clean-cut chunks of metal and fell out of the man's hand, and he let out a surprised cry, stepping away from her. Satsuki advanced on him just as the man lashed out with a clumsy front kick that caught her in the chest, sending her staggering back just far enough for him to swat her to the ground with the pole of his halberd.

Satsuki hit the ground on her injured shoulder, leaving a streak of blood as she slid away from the force of the impact. Rolling onto her front, she pushed herself up and back onto her feet as a throwing knife embedded itself in the floor beside her. She stole a quick glance at the broken trench knife at his feet before turning and running towards the rear exit of the ballroom, prompting him to give chase.

She rounded the corner to the right, stopping a few yards from the doorway as she gauged the width of the hallway. With a twist of her fingers she turned her knife blade-up, looking behind her in time to see the man come into view. Pulling his halberd back, he swung it at her in a wide arc only to have the tip catch in the wall to his left. Snarling, he wrenched it out as Satsuki charged him again, catching her knife on the pole of his weapon. He was forced back step by step, blocking her strikes as best he could while simultaneously trying to find the room needed to bring his weapon back to bear.

Satsuki, meanwhile, continued her attack, aiming for the one thin crack along the length of the man's polearm but finding her efforts stymied by him constantly parrying her thrusts away. As she paused to lined up another strike the man stepped out of range, reaching into the inside of his coat with one hand. Satsuki jerked her head away as a handful of knives passed by her face so close her eyes couldn't focus on it, throwing herself to the left as the man let them fly, splitting the air beside her. It was a brief distraction, but it was all the man needed to disentangle his halberd and return to form, putting some distance between himself and her as well as blocking off the way back into the ballroom.

She glanced over her shoulder, the movement causing a drop of something warm and wet to roll down the tip of her nose. The hall behind her had no cover or obstructions and a few closed doors along one side, with no hints as to what was behind them, or even if they opened. At the end of it was the lobby and the staircase she ran down earlier; it wasn't narrow, but it was confined enough that the man wouldn't be able to attack or move about as easily. Assuming that he would follow her into it, of course.

As soon as she faced forward again the man was upon her, and she threw herself back to keep herself from being run through with the tip of his halberd. She danced out of range of the blade as the short sweeps and thrusts cut past her again and again, leading him back to the stairs.

The moment they set foot in the lobby the man, now unencumbered by the limited space of the hallway, swept his halberd through the air in a wide arc. Satsuki dove away, landing and rolling to her feet before leaping to the side again to dodge another handful of throwing knives. Pushing herself back up, she made a break for the steps as the man continued his pursuit. Just before she began her ascent she turned in time to see him rear back his weapon in preparation of another attack, and as as the blade thrust towards her she threw herself against the wall and hopefully out of its path.

The halberd shot by, slamming into the wooden riser beside her with enough force to split it in twain in a shower of splinters. Wasting no time, Satsuki sank her knife into the crack along the polearm's length and slid it through. A split-second later it split apart into clean-cut fragments, and the man let out a surprised grunt as he quickly dropped the broken remnants, taking a step back as he glowered at her. Through the haze of adrenaline, the burning in her arm, and the throbbing of her head Satsuki was vaguely aware of a faint burning pain across her stomach where the blade passed by. She absently rubbed at it, leaving a smear of blood behind on her forearm.

The man's gaze lowered briefly to the remains of his weapon, then back to the girl. Reaching into his coat, he drew a short sword from a sheath behind his back. "This changes nothing."

The fight began anew as Satsuki backed up the stairs, parrying and dodging the man's sword strikes as she waited for another opportunity to go on the attack. The moment came when he set foot on the landing; he stepped forward for a horizontal swing and, ducking his swipe, Satsuki thrust her knife towards his heart, aiming for one of the cracks on his chest. He twisted to the side at the last moment, and her thrust cut through his upper sleeve and the bandages that lay beneath, leaving behind a shallow wound. She pulled it back in time for his sword to cleave the air where her arm was, nearly losing her hand for her effort.

This pattern repeated itself as they continued up the stairs: Retreat until on they were on level ground, score a few hits, repeat. Nearly all of the cuts she made were minor at best; she still wasn't used to aiming at unorthodox targets on a human body, and all of her attempts to score a hit on one of his cracks were avoided or deflected. She, meanwhile, still had no use of her left arm and was gradually being worn down from pain, fatigue and blood loss.

As she reached the third floor the man snapped his free hand out and a knife shot from his sleeve, passing by her and hitting the wall to her left. Satsuki instinctively broke to the right, only to come to a quick halt when she found herself in a short hallway with a broken window at the end. She turned around in time to see the man blocking her path, sword in one hand and a fan of knives in the other.

Satsuki raised her knife, running through her options in her head. Ducking into one of the rooms on either side was risky at best and suicide at worst. As much as she thought that she could still fight, the heaviness of her limbs spoke otherwise. She glanced over her shoulder at the window; she could jump through it easily, but walking away from the fall was another matter. Even if she cou  
  
  
nked before shaking her head to clear her vision.

"I hope you didn't think your tricks would work on me," the man said.

Her eyes refocused on the floor beneath the man, tracing the path of a crack as it passed through his legs, between hers and up and over the window sill. Looking defiantly at the man, she slowly edged back towards the window, resting one foot on the ledge.

He broke eye contact briefly to look over her shoulder at the skyline. "Jump if you'd like," he said impassively. "I've hit harder targets than you."

She stepped onto the sill with her other foot. "If you say so."

He let a handful of blades fly as she dropped off into nothing. The knives sailed over her head as she raised her own, sinking it into the crack on the sill. The sound of metal scraping across stone filled the air as her knife slid effortlessly through the building's exterior, doing nothing to slow her descent as she held it in a death grip. A sharp bend sent her sliding to the right, the sudden decrease in speed nearly wrenching it from her hands. Above her a spider web of fractures began spreading across the bricks and mortar as the shifting and rumbling of stone grew louder.

As Satsuki reached the bottom of the second floor the cracks in the wall spread past her, and she kicked off just as it began to buckle inward. She landed roughly on her feet, stumbling away from the imploding building to safety before a sudden wave of dizziness washed over her, and she fell to her knees. Gritting her teeth, she struggled to stand again as the ground trembled beneath her, forcing herself to stay conscious through the blinding pain in her head. Rising up, she limped towards the gate, watching over her shoulder as the entire wing of the hotel collapsed into a heap of rubble.

Through the din the screech of tires caught her attention, and she turned back to find a black car stopped across the street. From somewhere inside of it emerged an indistinct black shape, which slowly resolved into a familiar dark-haired girl with a bruise on her left cheek, wearing the same school uniform as Satsuki and carrying a katana. The girl rushed across the street, cutting the chain holding the gate shut with a single stroke before before kicking it open and re-sheathing her sword. As she neared Satsuki she passed the scabbard off to her right hand, putting Satsuki's arm over her shoulder as she supported her with her left, guiding her towards the road. "Come with me," the girl said evenly. "I need you alive."

Satsuki squeezed her eyes shut, trying to clear her vision. "Nanashi...?"

"It seems my earlier suspicious were not entirely unfounded," Nanashi remarked, casting a passing glance at the hotel.

"Is he following us?"

"Whoever 'he' is, you've just collapsed a building upon him." Satsuki made a move towards the car, only for Nanashi to guide her away. "The driver is unconscious, and will be for quite some time. Are you still able to walk?"

"Yeah." The reply came automatically, with no thought as to whether or not it was true.

"...I see. I need to find a suitable hiding place for you before the police spot us. Or your pursuer, assuming he's still alive. Preferably before you pass out; injured though you may be, I'd rather not have to explain why I'm carrying you on top of it."


	13. Chapter 10b

_You're not a hunter..._

_Not a killer..._

_What good are you?_  
  
_Sleep._  
  
_You don't need to struggle any longer._

_You wouldn't even know anything was wrong. A fitting fate for one who cannot tell dreams from reality..._  
  
  
  
Satsuki slowly opened her eyes, then quickly squeezed them shut as a twinge of pain shot through her temple. Wincing, she reached her hand up from underneath the blanket, rubbing her eyes as the fog in her head lifted.

...wait a second, she thought. Blanket?

Keeping her left eye shut she sat up, finding herself in a modest-looking two-bed hotel room, the shades drawn to blot out the light from outside. On the dresser between the beds was her eyepatch and a small collection of medical supplies, the latter of which had been used to bandage her shoulder and stomach. She held out her left arm, flexing her fingers experimentally; whatever that knife did to her was, if not out of her system, at least not affecting her.

She assumed that this was Nanashi's doing, and while she was grateful, she wasn't entirely certain as to why she stripped Satsuki down to her underwear to do it.

Pulling the sheets aside, she climbed out of bed and proceeded to search the room, peering into drawers, under the beds in the bathroom for her belongings but finding nothing save the television remote and some assorted toiletries. Satsuki, then, was forced to conclude that Nanashi had not only taken off her clothing but taken it, her money and her knife with her, leaving her here for reasons unknown.

A quick check of the door showed that it was locked and bolted from the inside and opened out into an empty hallway. She briefly contemplated leaving, until she realized that doing so would mean that she would be alone, unarmed, barefoot and wrapped in a bedsheet at best, in an unfamiliar part of town, in daylight, with no money for the train or a taxi. Letting out a note of dismay, she closed the door before locking it again. Suddenly Nanashi's actions made a bit more sense, though not by much; Satsuki didn't think she was a threat, and she vaguely remembered her mentioning that she needed her, so she was probably coming back eventually. For what and when, though, were beyond her.

Picking up the remote control from the table, she sat down on the edge of the bed and, with little else to do, turned on the television.

"-ity engineers said the collapse was due to 'innate structural instability,' pointing to recent events as proof of-"

Satsuki turned off the television.

\---

Nanashi picked up the pay phone handset, leaning the long, thin, cloth-wrapped bundle in her hand against the wall. She slid a coin into the slot before dialing, waiting patiently for the voice on the other end.

"Who is this?" Katsuya asked, his voice trembling.

"Good evening, brother."

There was a second of stunned silence before he screamed, "WHERE IS SHE?!"

"Out of grandfather's grasp. I do not wish to bring harm upon her, but I will take action if necessary."

"So you'll kill her, is that it? For what? Just to spite grandfather? Just to get back at me for not, for not giving you attention?" Katsuya's voice grew frantic. "That's all she is to you, isn't it? Just another tool for you to use, like everyone else you've met!"

"Who are you to speak of me using her as a tool? You know as well as I what his plans for her would be; if you claim to love her, as you did, then how could you attempt to lead her to such a fate?"

"You don't understa-"

"No, brother, I do. You know the truth but you are unwilling to admit it, even as your actions belie your intent. We both know what you did - or rather, did not do - when you visited her at the hospital. I ask you, would an obedient grandson shirk his family duty?"

There was a long silence before Katsuya finally asked, "what do you _want?_ "

"Merely the presence of you and the Toyowara patriarch."

"What makes you think he'll listen to _you?_ "

"Because he cannot afford not to. Tomorrow, midnight, Kankyu station. We have much to discuss."

Nanashi hung up the phone and, taking up her bundle again, continued on into town.

\---

The hotel door unlocked with a soft click and Nanashi stepped inside, finding herself greeted by an outraged Satsuki.

"You took my knife and my clothes!" she exclaimed, standing up from her seat on the edge of the bed.

Nanashi briefly looked her over. "...and you've not thought to cover yourself up with one of the sheets?" As Satsuki made a move to yank the blanket off the bed she added, "don't bother. You've nothing I don't have myself and haven't seen before."

"I still want them back," she said, blushing.

"Fair enough." She walked over to the other bed and set the plastic bag in her hand down before beginning to unwrap the thin bundle in her hands. "All things considered, I half expected that you would have broken the bathroom mirror and used one of the shards as a makeshift knife." Removing her katana from the inside of the cloth, she continued unfurling it, pulling Satsuki's black school uniform out from its folds and gently tossing it to her.

Satsuki caught her clothing and sat back down. "If you really thought I was that dangerous," she replied, pulling her skirt up, "you would have tied me to the bed."

"You are dangerous, simply not to me at the moment." Nanashi calmly regarded the blonde as she pulled her shirt on. "I can't speak for the party you met yesterday, however."

She froze.

"What happened?"

Satsuki looked at her with a mixture of guilt and defiance. "How did you find me?"

"An excellent question, though not a pertinent one. What happened?"

They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds until Satsuki broke eye contact. "Youichi said you were in an automobile accident," Nanashi said. "A claim simple enough to disprove, even if I couldn't see that both he and you were lying." She pointedly looked her over. "A knife created those scars; had you been in an accident, you would have had bruises and broken bones."

"..."

"You asked if 'he' was still following you yesterday. Was he the one who attacked you?" Nanashi paused, gauging her reaction. "Is this in connection with the recent homicides?"

Satsuki glanced up at her but said nothing.

Pushing on the tsuba with her thumb she unsheathed an inch or two of the katana by her side, turning it to inspect the blade before sliding it back into place. Returning her attention to Satsuki, she stared at her for a moment before finally speaking. "Why did you murder them, Arima?"

"I didn't murder anyone!" she exploded, standing. "I'm trying to stop the ones who did!"

"Who are they?"

"That man I fought yesterday and some girl my age."

"Were they the ones responsible for hospitalizing you and your father?"

"Yes! No, I mean she attacked my father, and when I came home the man attacked me."

"An ambush," Nanashi said coolly.

"I don't know. I don't remember."

"How do you know that this girl attacked your father?"

"I..." She growled. "I saw it in a dream!"

"A dream."

"Yes! I kept having dreams where I saw her killing people! She's some sort of vampire, and when she kills someone they come back as a zombie, but I can tell where they are and..." She stopped, staring at Nanashi, her mouth slightly agape as she realized just what she had been saying. "...you don't believe me, do you?"

The black-haired girl remained silent, eyeing Satsuki with the same detached expression.

"I'm not insane, Nanashi! This is _real_ , I swear! You were even there when I was attacked! Some vampire nearly killed my father and then- I-" She yanked off her eyepatch as she approached Nanashi, stopping mere inches from her. "You don't think I did this to myself, do you?! She-"

Nanashi raised her hand, cupping Satsuki's chin to hold her still as she fixed on her blue eye with a focused intensity.

"Wh-"

"Your eye. It's been like this for a while, has it not?"

"Yeah, it changed the day after I woke up."

"Have you been seeing anything out of the ordinary?"

"...yes, I've been seeing cracks on everything. How would you know?"

Nanashi lowered her arm, stepping away. "We're much the same, you and I." She slowly paced towards the center of the room, katana still in hand, arms folded across her waist. "Tell me," she said, turning to face Satsuki. "Are you familiar with the family name 'Nanaya?'"

"Nanaya?" she repeated, looking at her oddly.

"So you've not heard it before."

"No," Satsuki said, sitting down on the bed, "but it feels like I should have..."

"Have any further attempts been made on your father's life?"

"No." She pulled her eyepatch back on. "They must not know where he is."

"What of others you know? Youichi, your friends..."

"No... no, they've been fine. They haven't gone after them."

After a second's pause Nanashi said, "I see."

"I didn't murder anyone," Satsuki said softly.

"I trust you."

"Really?"

Nanashi gave her a slight nod. "That you were willing to remain here speaks much about you." She stood there, watching her for several seconds. "You asked how I knew where you were, correct?"

"Yeah. How did you find me?"

"After you had departed the school grounds I simply asked your friends. Upon hearing that you were headed for the hospital I visited Katsuya's house and convinced one of the family servants to provide a ride to your location, arriving just as you had chosen to take a taxi out of town. Something seemed suspect, so I chose to follow you. I had briefly lost track of you at one point, but fortunately the collapsing building put me on the proper path."

She gave her a suspicious look. " _Why_ were you looking for me?"

"I was searching for you because my dear brother was searching for you, and it was imperative that I found you before he did."

"Yeah, but why? Was he going to ask me not to break up with him?"

"Ask? No; he was planning more drastic measures. His will is not his own, I'm afraid." 

"What do you mean?"

Nanashi began slowly pacing the room. "He is a charming, attractive young man, is he not?" Satsuki noted how her voice seemed somewhat gentler as she said that but couldn't place why. "Why, then, out of his choice of girls in the school, did he choose you?"

She shrugged. "Because I'm different?"

"Because he was ordered to."

" _Ordered?_ By who?"

"Parties interested in the same power which allows you to see the cracks you mentioned. You'll meet them in due time." She paused, coming to a stop. "No, perhaps 'confront' is a better choice of words."

"You don't understand. The vampire was the one who-"

"This was not her doing," Nanashi interrupted. "What happened to your eye is due to the Nanaya blood which flows in your veins."

"But that doesn't..." She sighed irritably, shaking her head.

"I understand that this may sound strange-"

Satsuki rose to her feet. "It _does_ sound strange," she snapped, indignation rising in her. "You're telling me that my boyfriend of over a year didn't love me? That he was just _lying_ to me about how he felt, and for what? Because I've got some sort of... magic eye that I didn't even know I had because I'm from this Nanaya family that my parents never told me about? Why are you even telling me this _now?_ "

"Only now, after your rejection of Katsuya, were his more drastic plans put into motion. What's more, would you have trusted me had I simply appeared one day and revealed it all to you?"

"So you pretend to be my friend in the meantime, waiting for your chance to use me to get back at whoever started this 'plan?' Even if you _are_ telling the truth, you're no better than the person you said was controlling Katsuya!"

In the short time that she had known her, Satsuki had learned quickly just how emotionally reserved Nanashi was. It came as a shock, then, to see her so visibly hurt by her words.

"I don't expect you to excuse what I've done," Nanashi said softly, "but you must trust me when I say that it is for the best. If you hate me, I'll not fault you for it. All I ask is that you come with me tonight to meet with the man responsible, and from there you may do as you will." As Satsuki stared at her, thinking about her offer, she added, "for what it is worth, I do not consider our friendship a lie."

"...fine," she said finally. "Who is he?"

"Katsuya's and my grandfather. We'll meet with him tomorrow at midnight; in the interim I would suggest we remain out of sight as much as possible."

"You had the meeting set up ahead of time, didn't you?"

"Correct."

"What would you have done if I wasn't awake or refused to go?"

"Were you not awake, plans on my end would have been changed slightly."

"...and if I said no?"

"I would have tied you to the bed and gagged you," Nanashi said matter-of-factly. She produced Satsuki's knife, holding it out to her. "I believe this is yours."

Satsuki glanced at her knife before giving Nanashi a dubious look. "Thank you," she said, taking it. "I guess you really don't think I'm dangerous to you after all. So what do we do now?"

"It's quite simple, really." She returned to the table, pulling two bento boxes out from the plastic bag. "We wait."

\---

Evening turned to night, and night to morning, continuing on without incident. Nanashi had left briefly just after dawn to purchase food for the day, leaving Satsuki alone to contemplate just how incredibly bored she was. She had made a few attempts to make small talk with her to pass the time, only to receive curt replies that ended the conversations before they began. She wasn't sure if it was because she had a lot on her mind or, having everything she wanted from her, she simply didn't feel the need to act friendly towards her anymore. Still, she tried again over breakfast, bringing up a question that received more of a response than she expected.

"What happened between you two?" Quickly, she added, "if you don't mind me asking, I mean."

Nanashi looked at Satsuki before setting her chopsticks down. "Grandfather happened," she said calmly. "A year after Katsuya and I were born, I was left in the care of our father, while grandfather raised my brother. Of the two of us, he was regarded as the more valuable one."

"You don't mean that it was because..." Hesitating, she pointed to herself.

"You and possibly others; I can't say for certain. For some reason - respect, perhaps, as if the word has any meaning for him - he refused to simply abduct your father for his own ends. Seeing you, I believe I understand why." In response to Satsuki's confused look she bowed her head. "My apologies. That was not intended as an insult."

"Right..."

"In spite of grandfather's best efforts to keep my brother away from me, I was still able to gather some scant pieces of information regarding him. Father's lack of wisdom and foresight and the sympathy of some of the family servants proved invaluable to this end." Nanashi's expression hardened. "Grandfather treated my dear brother little better than an animal," she said, venom in her voice, "training him to behave precisely as he wished him to behave: As obedient breeding stock. We met for the first time since we were born six years ago, at a relative's funeral. He carried himself much as he does now, but I could see how fearful he was beneath that facade. He was being twisted into something only barely human, and none cared enough to speak up on his behalf. I wasn't certain as to how I would do it at the time, but I knew that I was the only one who loved him enough to save him."

Satsuki wanted to say something. She wanted to ask her how anyone could even think of doing something like that to their own grandchild, ask how her family could see what was happening and _not do anything_ , ask how she expected Satsuki to believe all this and tell herself that doubting it wouldn't make it any less true if it really happened. She didn't know what to say first, and ended up saying nothing.

"Grandfather caught on eventually, of course, and tried to rid himself of me on several occasions, though he doesn't quite seem to understand what his own flesh and blood is truly capable of."

"He tried to kill you?"

"No, merely incarceration in mental health clinics. He had hoped to keep me docile in the event that a suitable male was found, at which point steps to produce an heir would be taken; failing that, there were other contingency plans. I of course had other ideas." A small, grim smile briefly crossed her lips. "No doubt he'll find some way to blame me for your break-up with my brother; ironic, considering I never had to take action for it to happen."

She shook her head numbly. "All this, for..."

"Had he never found out about a potential Nanaya clan heir, there would have been no reason for myself or my brother to exist. In a way, we were born because you were born." Just as Satsuki was forming an apology in her mind Nanashi said, "you've no reason to feel guilt over something you had no knowledge of or control over."

Despite being told that, Satsuki couldn't shake the need to say she was sorry from her mind, and spent the next few seconds trying again to come up with something to say. For her part Nanashi simply watched her in her usual inscrutable fashion before determining that Satsuki wasn't about to speak, at which point she picked up her chopsticks and resumed eating as if nothing had happened, leaving Satsuki in the lurch as she wished that she had never asked.

\---

>   
>  ?. EXT. POV SHOT - LARGE HOUSE - EVENING
> 
> The exterior is done up in a western-style ranch house with  
>  a short set of brick steps leading up to the front landing.  
>  The house looks to be upper-middle class, yet modest in  
>  size. The CAMERA begins at the bottom of the steps at eye  
>  level and slowly moves up the steps, eventually stopping at  
>  the front door.
> 
> A hand reaches out and presses the doorbell, causing a  
>  chime to emanate from inside the house.
> 
> F. VOICE (OS)  
>  One second!
> 
> Seconds pass, during which time the camera glances to the  
>  right, then to the left, possibly in search of other  
>  people. Said people are nowhere to be found. The sound of  
>  a latch unlocking is heard and the camera snaps back  
>  towards the door. It opens to reveal a teenage girl with  
>  blonde hair, one red eye and an eyepatch, wearing casual  
>  clothes.
> 
> SATSUKI  
>  Yes, can I hel-
> 
> The camera zooms forward in a blur of motion, the screen  
>  going black as SATSUKI recoils in fear.  
> 

\---

Satsuki's eyes shot open as she woke with a start, finding herself lying atop the bed. As she watched the flickering light from the television play across the hotel room's ceiling she mulled over her dream, trying to make sense of what had happened.

"Don't fall back asleep," Nanashi said. "We've ten minutes or so before we need to leave."

She sat up, rubbing her eye. "I won't, I won't. Did anything happen when I was out?"

"We've not been discovered by either party after us, if that's what you're curious about. Nor have there been any further reports of people missing or turning up dead."

"Right. Thanks."

"Are you hungry?"

"Not really."

Nanashi looked over at her. "What are your plans for after we meet with my grandfather?"

"I'm gonna keep looking for the vampire," Satsuki replied. "She's still out there."

"What makes you so certain?"

She went to speak but hesitated for a second before saying, "just a feeling, that's all."

"I see."

"How about you?"

Nanashi stood, still holding her katana. "One way or another," she said, turning off the television, "I expect to be dealing with the consequences of my actions. What they are, precisely, are dependent on how the meeting goes."

"Do you have a plan?"

"Several. Whether I'm in any condition to enact them is another matter."

"You don't think that they're going to try and kill you," Satsuki said worriedly, "do you?"

"Were I afraid of death," she said, turning and walking towards the door, "I would have never tried. Come. We don't want to be late."

\---

Nanashi was quiet during the walk to the station and continued to be so during the train ride. After what she had said to Satsuki her usual stretches of silence felt heavier and more solemn somehow; less something that could or couldn't be filled and more something that _shouldn't_ be filled. The atmosphere at a funeral came to mind, but Satsuki wasn't pleased with the comparison after she thought of it.

If nothing else, the trip gave her some more time to think about what she had been told. It felt as if Nanashi was still holding information from her, but considering how she acted she probably wasn't lying outright. The only problem with that was... well, everything: If what she said was true then that it meant that, among other things, her father was really... she didn't know, a vampire hunter with magic eyes?

But it would make sense, wouldn't it? A small weapon like a knife was perfect for precise cuts and strikes on targets with cracks. If her dad could see them then that would explain his fighting style, but he never mentioned anything about them - at least, nothing that Satsuki remembered... and where did _he_ learn to fight like that? Nanashi had said "Nanaya clan," so maybe he had family somewhere that taught him, but years ago when Satsuki asked why she didn't have grandparents, her dad told her that his parents died when he was still young. The only relatives of his that she had met were her grandaunt and granduncle, and they weren't even related by blood.

...and come to think of it, she didn't know anything about her mom's side of the family at all. Did Nanashi know, and simply chose not to tell Satsuki about it because it wasn't relevant? She wasn't comfortable with the thought that complete strangers knew more about her own family th

 

Realizing what had just happened, she rubbed her eye before shaking her head to clear out the cobwebs. A quick glance out the window behind Nanashi confirmed that she only flaked out for two or three seconds at most. She seemed to be spacing out like that more and more for some reason; it wasn't so bad when it happened in class, but the last time could have gotten her killed.

Her line of sight drifted to Nanashi, at which point she noticed something unusual: Nanashi was still seated in the same position - both hands on the pommel of her katana, holding it propped up between her legs like a cane - but where she had spent the entire trip staring at the floor, she was now suddenly and inexplicably staring at Satsuki. Satsuki gave her a curious look, at which point a flicker of vague disapproval crossed her face before she returned her gaze to the floor.

"Is something wrong?" Satsuki asked.

"No," she replied, not looking up.

Satsuki wasn't sure if the conversation ended before it began, or simply never existed to begin with. "...oh."

The next time Nanashi spoke was to tell her that they were disembarking at the stop before the Kankyu station and taking a taxi to a location a few blocks away, whereupon they would walk the rest of the way. When Satsuki asked why, she replied that she wanted to "see them before they could see us." It seemed excessive and a little paranoid - okay, _very_ paranoid - but considering what she had said about the head of her family she had good reason to act the way she did.

After leaving the station, a nearby taxi took them through town to a location Satsuki was completely unfamiliar with. She assumed that Nanashi knew what direction to travel and was proven mostly correct after being lead on a meandering westward route - they _were_ going west, right? - that took them along darkened streets and through the occasional building. So circuitous was their path that Satsuki didn't realize that they were nearing it until she spotted the fenced-off train tracks at the end of a side alley and, looking out, saw the side of the station fifty yards to the south.

"We'll take the service entrance," Nanashi said. "He'll be in the parking garage."

Satsuki nodded, exiting the alley and heading for the station. Once she was near the door she heard the low sound of drawn steel behind her. "Put your hands behind your back," Nanashi said, "if you would." Satsuki made a move to face her, only for Nanashi to stop her mid-turn by resting her left hand on her shoulder, the scabbard in her grasp. "You're my captive, remember?"

"Do you think he'll fall for it?" she asked, crossing her wrists behind her.

She slid the scabbard into the waistband of her skirt. "I forsee no reason why he wouldn't." Gripping Satsuki's wrists in one hand she pulled her close, turning the knob and pulling the door open with the other before positioning the katana uncomfortably close to Satsuki's neck. "We certainly look convincing enough."

\---

The garage was empty save for five black sedans identical to the one Nanashi had left when she had found Satsuki. Four of them were in spots as normal, forming a wide square around the fifth, which was parked in middle of the lane. Each was flanked by two men in black suits, and standing by the center car was a bald man in a grey suit who could only be Hideto Toyowara.

Hideto looked old to Satsuki, but certainly not weak: While he rested both hands on a wooden cane in front of him, his straight posture suggested that he didn't need it. From the cut of his suit, he was neither wasting away or carrying extra weight, and even though Nanashi held her at sword-point he remained stone-faced, simply watching as they drew closer.

As Satsuki and Nanashi approached him he held up a hand, signalling for them to stop well out of sword's reach. "That's close enough," he said bluntly. Focusing his attention on Satsuki, he looked her over. "Satsuki Arima. It is... lamentable that we should meet under these circumstances."

"You insult yourself with your words, grandfather," Nanashi said.

"I apologize for her actions; she's not well. She hasn't harmed you, I hope."

Satsuki shook her head as best as she could manage. "I'm okay."

"I believe I told my brother that this meeting was to be between him, myself and you," Nanashi said.

"You've never trusted my word," he calmly retorted, "and even now you've shown that I cannot trust yours."

"...and yet knowing I was untrustworthy, you still brought my brother with you," she said, looking pointedly at the rear sedan door.

"I'm aware of your..." His lip curled up in a faint disgusted sneer. "...predilections regarding him. As much as it pains me to say it, he serves the same purpose to me as Miss Arima does to you. Now, you called for this meeting for a reason."

"That goes without saying," Nanashi said. "You had plans for her; tell her what they were."

He stared at his granddaughter icily before looking back at Satsuki, his voice taking on an almost genial tone. "No doubt you've heard her version of events, distorted as they may be-"

She pulled Satsuki closer, pressing the blade of her katana into her neck. "Get on with it."

"Nanashi, what are you _doing?_ " Satsuki whispered, wide-eyed.

"-but she wants you to hear the truth from me," he continued, ignoring her, "and so you shall. Years ago one of your distant ancestors - a demon hunter - married into our clan. He sired a child, merging our bloodline with his and passing on his heritage. The powers granted by his blood have faded over the years, and so I sought out his descendants in the hopes of preserving them."

"Assuming that she is, in fact, of their bloodline and you're not simply grasping at straws," Nanashi said.

"Some would have resorted to an arranged marriage. I felt that letting nature take its course first would be more ideal. Now, do you have any other questions to ask for her?"

"You've an odd definition of 'nature,' grandfather-"

"Nanashi," Satsuki sternly cut in. "If this is because of me, then I should be able to say something." She turned her head, trying to look at Nanashi out of the corner of her eye. "Right?"

Nanashi's gaze shifted from Satsuki to Hideto, then back again. "...by all means."

"Thank you." Turning back to the old man, she said, "You said Katsuya is here, right? I want to talk to him."

The two men on either side of Hideto exchanged a subtle glance. "Of course," he replied. "I wouldn't think of denying you that."

He rapped the end of his cane twice against the rear window, and a moment later the door opened and Katsuya stepped out. Satsuki couldn't help but notice how... _different_ he looked: His school uniform was wrinkled and unkept, and his expression was one of barely contained fear and panic. He shut the car door and stood to face her and Nanashi, clutching his hands in front of him to keep them from shaking.

"Katsuya," Satsuki began, "did you send people out to try and find me two days ago?"

He glanced over at Hideto before nodding. "Yes. I, I knew that she was going to try something, so I had to find you before she did."

"Why didn't you call me?"

He looked lost for a second as his mouth moved wordlessly, trying to formulate a response until Hideto spoke for him. "Someone he loved was in mortal danger," he said, briefly taking a hand of the top of his cane to gesture to Katsuya. "It's not unheard of to have a lapse of reason in these situations." He gave his grandson a sidelong look. "Isn't that right, Katsuya?"

"Yes sir," Katsuya replied automatically.

Satsuki followed Hideto's hand, watching as Katsuya winced slightly at the gesture, before turning her attention back to the patriarch. "You said that one of your ancestors was a demon hunter. Does your family still hunt them?"

"No. The Toyowara clan's gifts have all but disappeared in the past two generations, and even before that they were growing weak." Satsuki heard Nanashi let out a low, derisive laugh behind her. "Without your aid I fear they may disappear entirely."

She looked over at Katsuya, watching as his eyes moved from Hideto to Satsuki to the ground, gripping both his hands in front of him. Steeling herself, she looked back at Hideto and said, "I'm sorry, Mister Toyowara, but I can't marry your son."

Katsuya paled, staring at his grandfather in anticipation of his response. Hideto stood there for a moment, silent and expressionless, before finally speaking. "You would condemn a bloodline - your bloodline - to a slow end, simply because your youthful relationship has cooled for a brief time?" He gave her a faint questioning look. "Part of you must surely care for him still."

"I do care about him, but I don't think that he really loves me."

"Absurd. I expect that she was the one who put the idea in your head, but can you really trust someone so willing to hold a sword to your neck to get what she wants?" He glanced over at Katsuya. "He clearly fears for your safety."

"He's not afraid for me, he's... he looks like he's afraid of _you_."

Hideto let out a short chuckle. "I will admit that I have high expectations for Katsuya. He's always had an odd fear of failure and a desire to please me - which would extend to ensuring your safety, of course - so naturally this situation would be stressful for him." He gave Katsuya another sidelong glance. "I've tried to convince him not to worry over matters as much as he does lest it be to his detriment, but still he persists. Like Ananda, sometimes we try so hard to succeed that our failure is all but assured. Don't you agree, Miss Arima?"

"I guess so," she replied, hesitantly. This doesn't make sense, she thought. If the Toyowara patriarch really was the heartless ogre Nanashi made him out to be, he didn't act the part. It was possible that it was just that - an act - but if it wasn't, then what was to say that Nanashi's words weren't part of an act itself?

As Nanashi slowly grew more agitated and remained in a position to kill her at a moment's notice, Satsuki deeply regretted not considering this possibility beforehand.

"You don't really believe the nonsense you're spouting," Nanashi snapped.

"I can see you're growing impatient," Hideto said, "so you must have a purpose besides parading your hostage around in front of me, _ordering_ me to give her information that I would have told her had she but asked. What are your demands?"

"Abandon your pursuit of the Nanaya bloodline and your control over my brother."

"I understand your desire to be with your brother, but your grudge against the restoration of our demon-hunting lineage escapes me."

"You say 'demon hunter' but the family's always been notoriously lax in its duties. Your ancestors 'hunted,' certainly, but only things that have been a threat to your company."

"So you claim. Regardless, Katsuya is his own person, and has made it clear on numerous occasions that he wants as little to do with you as possible."

The corners of Nanashi mouth twitched downward in a small, brief frown. "...and _your_ demands, grandfather?"

"Release Miss Arima and allow us to leave. Provided that you do not interfere in the family's business I'm willing to overlook this incident and allow you to do as you please."

"I cannot," she said.

"Then you understand that we are at an impasse." Flatly, he added, "even if it is of your own doing."

A silence fell over the garage. Satsuki watched as Hideto fixed a cold, focused stare over her shoulder at Nanashi, who she could only assume was responding in kind. As she wondered who would give in first, if either of them, she heard Nanashi whisper a barely audible "trust me" just before she felt the edge of the katana begin to bite into her neck. Satsuki gritted her teeth, futilely trying to pull away as her wrists remained locked behind her in Nanashi's grasp.

"...and yet I am the only one who is able to break it," Nanashi said. "Of the two of us, only one requires both Miss Arima and my brother to be alive."

Katsuya stared, open-mouthed, as Hideto shifted his hands on the end of his cane. "It would be a foolish gesture on your part to kill your only bargaining chip," Hideto said calmly, "but you've never been much for reason or rationality when it came to your brother."

Taking the head of his cane in his right hand he brought it unto the air with a low toss, grabbing it by the end in his left and swinging it up in a vertical arc, cracking Katsuya square in the face before loosening his grip, letting it slide down his hand as he smoothly returning to his original stance. Katsuya stumbled as a stream of blood poured from his nose, too surprised to even cry out in pain as he fell against the side of the sedan. He clutched his nose with one shaking hand in an attempt to stem the flow of blood he futilely tried to find purchase against the car with the other, sliding to the ground as he stared up at his grandfather in shock and confusion.

Snarling, Nanashi threw Satsuki to the side, taking her katana up in both hands as a half-dozen guns were drawn and aimed in her direction. Satsuki caught herself in a crouch with one hand before she hit the ground, reflexively drawing her knife with the other as she quickly stood up next to Nanashi.

"Which is precisely why I can do that," Hideto said, "knowing full well what the result will be ahead of time." He looked between the two. "Of course; it wasn't a kidnapping at all, was it?"

"Katsuya!" Satsuki shouted. "Are you okay?"

Still clutching his nose, Katsuya looked up at Satsuki in a daze and slowly nodded.

She turned to Hideto. "How could you do that to your own grandson?!"

"There are things in this world more important than the lives of a few children," he replied.

"You're _sick._ "

"I only do what is necessary to preserve the Nanaya bloodline," he replied, "even if the remnants of the clan itself are no longer interested in doing so."

"...and for what? Just so you can kill anyone who disagrees with you?"

Hideto sighed, looking faintly disgusted. "Miss Arima, you are in high school, and I am old enough to be your grandfather. You know nothing of how the world works, and yet you're prepared to give me some grand, impassioned, emotional speech about how I need to abandon everything I've done simply because you find it unpleasant. As I said, there are more important things than the lives of children, and this is one of them. I've tried to be accommodating, but my granddaughter has left me with few options, and you with fewer still. Fortunately you're much more rational than her, so this choice will be a simple one: Come peacefully and I'll allow Katsuya and Nanashi to live."

With shaky hands, Katsuya pushed himself up into a kneeling position at Hideto's side, staring up at him vacantly. "Sir, you need me to-"

"I never said I needed you," he retorted. "You were of use to me, but at no point were you ever indispensable."

"But sir, you need me-"

"I don't need you," he growled. "Now _be silent_."

Satsuki lowered her arm, still tightly gripping her knife. There was a gunman at each of the four cars around her, and one on either side of Hideto and Katsuya; all of them had a direct line of sight to her, and were far enough away that closing in to dispatch them would be suicide. It may have been possible to approach Hideto peacefully, then kill him before taking care of the two guards, but the car would only offer cover from two of the remaining gunmen and she didn't know how to fire a pistol. Worse yet, Nanashi would still be in the open, and Satsuki didn't doubt that they would kill her if anything happened to Hideto. She reluctantly dismissed the idea of fighting her way out, and only then did she become fully aware that she was planning to kill another human being until she determined that she couldn't, not because she thought it was wrong, but because it was impossible to do so and escape unscathed. But even if she did, she thought, it wouldn't be the first time she killed someone, would it?

Hideto was planning on... Satsuki didn't want to think about it, but she could go along with it for now and come up with a plan once she knew that Katsuya and Nanashi were safe. Hopefully before anything happened to her. There was no way of knowing for sure if he would even keep his word, though, and if she did kill him she would be making an enemy of a company with enough power and influence that it can kidnap someone and expect to get away with it.

Satsuki bowed her head, scowling. Hideto Toyowara knew she wouldn't - and couldn't - say no. He probably only gave her the choice to let her know that she didn't _have_ a choice.

"There may be another way," Nanashi whispered. Satsuki looked quizzically over her shoulder at her, and Nanashi continued. "I understand that you wish to keep it a secret, but we've no other choice. He will find out eventually; telling him now may be the safest option."

Satsuki looked at her oddly. "...what are you talking about?"

There was a second of silence before surprise dawned on Nanashi's face; not the muted, reserved emotions she normally displayed, but genuine, wide-eyed shock. "You don't _know_ , do you?"

"It's a simple decision, Nanashi," Hideto stated. "You don't need to coach the poor girl on it."

Satsuki returned her attention to the Toyowara patriarch. Taking a deep, resigned breath, she closed her knife, holding it to the side at arm's length before letting it drop. "Alright. I'll go with you. You promise that you won't hurt Katsuya or Nanashi?"

"Spite is a wasteful emotion. Come."

As she slowly walked towards Hideto, she looked down at Katsuya. He was still kneeling by his side, staring up at him in shock. The flow of blood had slowed but not stopped, still leaving a wet-looking strip on his face. His lips continued to move silently, mouthing "you need me, you need me" over and over in empty disbelief.

"Pay him no heed," Hideto said.

"Why?" she asked bitterly, stopping in front of him. "Because you already have what you want?"

"He's of no use to either of us, Miss Arima. There's no need to be so melodramatic."

Hideto glanced to either side at the guards, raising one hand in a gesture. They holstered their pistols in their coats, and the one on his right circled around to the driver's seat of the sedan. The one on his left made a move to open the rear door, stopping himself when he saw that Katsuya was on the way. "Master Toyowara," the guard said.

He looked down at his grandson dismissively before returning his attention to the guard, lightly inclining his head away from the vehicle. Nodding, the guard grabbed Katsuya by the collar and half-dragged, half-threw him out of the way before opening the door for Satsuki. Katsuya pushed himself back up, automatically turning to face Hideto as he took a kneeling position again, oblivious to all else around him.

Satsuki stared regretfully at Katsuya for a moment before tearing herself away, trying to convince herself that things would work out and failing miserably. As made a move to enter the car, she heard Nanashi call out, "grandfather," and turned to see her sheathing her katana.

"We've nothing else to discuss," he said curtly. "My business is done here."

"I have but one more thing to discuss. Tell me: Who is Arima's mother?"

"Have you asked Miss Arima?"

"I'm asking if you know."

"A foreigner. No one of importance."

She knelt down to pick up Satsuki's knife. Rising, she turned it over in her hands, seemingly in no hurry to respond. "I see."

"Is there a purpose to this or are you just delaying me for your own emotional gratification?"

"Merely waiting until you catch on. Doubtless, the family's abilities have declined for the most part, but surely being this close to her for this long has aroused the suspicions of someone even as _untalented_ as you. Or have you not noticed?"

"All I've noticed a desperate attempt to sow doubt. We've..." He trailed off, peering suspiciously at Satsuki out of the corner of his eye. He slowly turned, brow furrowed, scanning her as if he had never seen her before as she stared defiantly back at him. "No..."

"You understand now?" she asked condescendingly. "You've not felt it before, pampered as you were, so you wouldn't know the reasons behind it."

He scowled. "No... how could he poison his own bloodline by laying down with some _thing?_ "

Anger welled up in Satsuki again. A _thing?_ Her mother was a _thing_ that "poisoned her father's bloodline?" Why? Was it because she wasn't a demon hunter herself? Because she wasn't from Japan? Because getting married to Satsuki's father interfered with his obsession with some family she didn't even know she was a part of until two days ago?

"What's the matter, grandfather? I thought letting nature take its course was ideal."

"There is _nothing_ natural about the union that produced this abomination!" he barked.

He made it sound like she wasn't human or-

...or...

_You don't **know** , do you?_

Satsuki felt the blood drain from her face as her stomach twisted into a knot. That was impossible, she thought. They had to have been mistaken; after all, just because _she_ could tell where zombies and vampires were doesn't mean that they could as well. If they could then they would have done something about the murders. So this had to be something different, right? After all, Satsuki knew that her mother was human, and so was she, right?

Right?

"Were I you," Nanashi said, "I would watch my words around her."

"She may be unnatural, but she's no danger to us."

"...and why would you presume such a thing?"

"Because you let her live. I know you better than you think, Nanashi."

"Perhaps. Or perhaps I merely know what happens to fools who attempt to steal tiger cubs out from underneath their parents' noses." She gave him a small, brief smile. "I know you're afraid, but not of her."

Hideto eyed Satsuki for a moment before turning to his guards. "Come. We're leaving without her."

Satsuki backed away as the guard pushed the door shut, too shaken to offer any further argument or resistance. As the guard opened the front door for Hideto, Katsuya snapped out of his daze, crawling towards him on hands and knees. "Sir, you need her. You need me, you need-"

"It was for naught," he growled, giving him a withering glare. "Everything I did with _you_ was for naught."

"But-"

"I have no use of a broken puppet," he said, climbing into the sedan. "I have other grandchildren, and there are always other clans."

Katsuya limply fell back onto his haunches, empty and defeated, as the guards entered their vehicles. As they pulled out of the garage Satsuki stared at the boy that was once her boyfriend, torn between futilely trying to console him for what happened and futilely trying to walk away from... what? Herself? The knowledge that she wasn't human, or that neither of her parents were who she thought they were?

"I'm sorry," Nanashi finally said.

Satsuki turned her head, looking at Nanashi over her shoulder. "How long have you known?"

"Since you returned from the hospital."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

She sheathed her katana. "I assumed you already knew and wished to keep it a secret. Had I known, I would have told you earlier."

Satsuki slowly turned to face her. "So what now? Are you going to stop your grandfather from trying to..." She trailed off, hoping Nanashi would understand.

Her hand tightened around the scabbard. "He deserves death for what he did to my dear brother, but to make an attempt on his life would be foolish. He's powerful, but old; time will do what I cannot. Besides, it isn't as if the bloodlines he seeks are common."

"But what if he does find another one?"

"Then I shall find out, and we shall assist them."

"'We?' So I'm... I mean, you're not..." She swallowed. "You're not gonna kill me?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Your ancestors were demon hunters, weren't they?"

"As were yours," she said calmly.

"That-"

"I understood what you meant. As much as it pains me to admit it, grandfather is correct: Even if it resulted in his death, letting a mon- ...letting something run free to potentially harm innocents would be unforgivable." She paused, gauging Satsuki's reaction. "You've always been as you are; only now did you discover the truth. Your mother is more powerful than you, and yet her true nature has gone unnoticed for your entire life. Your father must have known what she was, and yet he married her." She slowly stepped forward, reaching into her pocket. "Make of what you will with that knowledge."

Stopping, she placed Satsuki's knife and a few bills in her hands, watching Katsuya. "I apologize for ending this conversation prematurely," she said softly, "but I'd like to be alone with my brother."

Satsuki nodded and, after one long, final look behind her, exited the parking garage onto the silent town streets.


	14. Chapter 11b

Takada strode up the walkway to his house, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his keys. As he reached down to unlock the front door he paused, suddenly aware of someone speaking inside. He leaned in, listening, before realizing that it was coming from the television and made a move to unlock the door again before realizing that he had turned it off before he left. A quick check of the doorknob revealed that it was unlocked, and he cautiously pushed it open to find Satsuki seated on the floor in front of the television staring back at him.

He blinked. "When did you get back?"

"Last night," she replied. "I snuck in because I didn't want to wake you."

"You were here the entire time?!"

Satsuki looked up at him guiltily. "Sorry."

"You were gone for two days! I was worried about you!"

"Sorry."

Takada sighed wearily, closing the door behind him. "You're okay, though, right? What happened?"

"It's..." She paused, searching for the right words. "...complicated."

He set his schoolbag down on the table and pulled out a chair before taking a seat. "Did it have anything to do with the building that collapsed the day you disappeared?"

"A little," she said hesitantly. "I think I killed the man that was with the vampire."

"Did he give you any clues? Where she was, what she looked like, anything?"

Satsuki shook her head. A few seconds later she asked, "Katsuya and Nanashi weren't at school today, were they?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

She drew her legs in, resting her elbows on her knees. "I think that they're gonna be gone for a while."

"Why? Did something happen to them?"

"Kind of, yeah," Satsuki said, before hurriedly adding, "they're not hurt or anything, it's just..."

"Complicated?"

"Yeah."

Silence lingered for a few moments. Takada stood up and headed into the kitchen, picking up a pen and a piece of paper off the counter before going through the cabinets, making a list as he did so.

"Hey, Takada?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think there's anything weird about my parents?"

He looked over his shoulder at her questioningly. "Weird how?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, just in general."

"Not really. They seem normal to me."

"Oh."

Opening the refrigerator, he pulled out a nearly-empty container of milk. Frowning, he glanced at Satsuki's back before replacing it and making another note. "Why? You don't think that they're normal?"

"I _know_ that they're not normal."

"Why do you say that?"

"Just... things I've heard." She picked up the remote and turned off the television. "I didn't really think about it before, but there's a lot of stuff that I've just taken for granted."

"That's normal for a lot of people, isn't it? I know I was like that when mom left."

"Maybe, but..." She slowly shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't know how to put it. I shouldn't have brought this up, anyway."

Takada gave her worried look before looking down at the list in his hand. "Are you going to be alright by yourself for a bit?"

"Where are you going?" she asked, looking over her shoulder.

He held up the list. "There's a few things I need to pick up from the store."

"Oh, I can get those for you."

"Are you sure?"

She pushed herself up to a standing position. "Yeah, it's fine," she replied, stretching. "I was thinking of going out and checking on my house to see if it's still okay, anyway."

"Do you need money?" Takada asked, passing the list to Satsuki.

"Yeah, I-" She paused before reaching into her pocket and feeling what was left of the bills Nanashi gave her. "Actually, I probably have enough. I'll be back before sundown."

\---

Satsuki's house was exactly as it was when she left it, save for the small pile of mail outside and the spoiled food inside her refrigerator, the latter coming to mind a half-second before she opened the door to check. As she began to search the rooms to ensure that nothing had been broken or stolen in her absence, she couldn't help but feel vulnerable, knowing that the vampire had entered her home and could do so again at a moment's notice.

On her way past the phone in the kitchen she noticed the message light flashing on the answering machine and pressed "play," leaving it to run in the background as she continued her sweep. Most of them were from her father's co-workers, curt requests for him to call them back, with a few hang-ups, solicitors and pre-recorded messages about investment deals between them. It was background noise more than anything else for Satsuki, until it gave way to a more cheerful and familiar voice. "Hey Shiki, hey Satsuki."

She perked up, scrambling back into the kitchen.

"You're probably wondering where I disappeared to for so long," Arcueid said. "Weeeeeell... I got dragged off on business with an old friend. Don't worry, we're fine. I'm on my way back now; I'll tell you all the details when I get home, okay? Love ya! Bye!"

Satsuki let out a relieved laugh. At least mom's okay, she thought. Although she _would_ be okay, wouldn't she? After all, she was... well, Satsuki didn't know what she was, short of being close enough to human to pass for one. She wasn't sure how to bring up that she found out, though; she should probably just come out and tell her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a fierce, demanding pull in her mind. She winced as a sudden tightness spread through her skull, and she rubbed her eye in an attempt to relieve the pressure.

"-Beppu Hospital," a female voice said, "calling for Arcueid Arima to inform you that your husband, Shiki, is conscious and-"

The force of the pull intensified, and Satsuki leaned on the counter to support herself as the pain in her head rose to crushing levels. She staggered out of the kitchen, clutching her head in one hand as she tried to figure out where the pull was trying to lead her.

Stepping outside she winced as the light hit her eyes, making her sudden migraine even worse. She slowly turned to and fro, trying to get her bearings on which way to go before a knot of pain welled up in the side of her head, smothering her thoughts as it angrily demanded her attention. She pulled the door shut behind her and headed down to the street, being lead along by the insistent tugging in her head, not sure of where she was going and too in pain to care.

\---

Satsuki groaned as she came to, face down in the grass. She slowly pushed herself up onto one knee, trying to remember what happened after she left her house and failing miserably. Wherever she was, she arrived under her own power; that much she knew, or at least she thought she did.

Rising to her feet she took a quick look around, finding herself on a low, broad hill overlooking the old train platform where she found the first cadaver. Judging from the setting sun, it had to have been at least two or three hours since she left home. The force that led her here had disappeared, along with her crushing headache, and with nothing else in sight she found herself at a loss over what to do next.

With little else to go on, she turned her attention to the platform and descended the hill to investigate. Even at a distance she could tell that the cadaver was gone, and as she drew closer she scanned the ground near where it fell for any traces of it or its passing, in vain. A similar search of the platform itself turned up little but rust-colored stains in the few areas still protected from the elements.

Dismayed, she returned to the crest of the hill for a second look around. Cadavers weren't that agile, she reasoned, so it probably didn't climb the fence and head towards the town. It may have wandered into the field behind her, but if that were the case, why did she end up here instead of closer to it? She could walk across the field and look for it, but considering how directionless and possibly futile the search would be she thought it a last resort.

Or it was dead - _dead_ dead - and someone else found it. The platform didn't look like the police had been there, though, and she didn't see any news reports about bodies anywhere... and she _was_ lead here recently, wasn't she? So what was she supposed to do?

"Hopeless. Completely hopeless."

Satsuki turned, twisting her body to the side at the last moment to evade the thrust aimed at her heart. She leaned to avoid the second swing as it whipped past her eyes, and jumped back to avoid the third. As a second thrust came towards her she pushed her assailant's arm to the side, catching a knee to the gut for her efforts. Stumbling, she reached into her pocket and drew her knife, snapping it open and parrying her foe's weapon away in one motion. She tore off her eyepatch, stepping back to get some distance between her and her foe.

It - she - was girl her height, her entire body obscured by _nothing_ ; not matte black but utterly devoid of color or cracks, with a thin, hazy outline separating her from the rest of the world. In her right hand she held a flat, rusty nail about the length of her forearm with sharpened edges, and would turn it between her fingers every so often as she calmly watched Satsuki with her featureless, empty face. "You thought that something that weak survived what you did to it, and that it was that demanding of your notice? You really are a disgrace."

"Who...?" Her eyes narrowed. "It was you! _You_ killed them!"

Satsuki's blade swept up, glancing off the edge of the girl's own. She pressed the attack with two quick swipes aimed at her throat; the girl wove out of the way of the strikes, hopping out of range of the thrust that followed.

"Yes," the girl said calmly. "Thirteen people." Raising her arm, she blocked a high kick, and her nail raked through the space Satsuki's leg occupied a moment before. "I killed them and drank their blood." She brought her arm back, deflecting another blow before catching the follow-up on the edge of her weapon, sweeping her arm to the side to force Satsuki away. "Then you killed the ones that came back."

"Why did you kill them?"

"To gain the strength I needed to save Satsuki Arima." The girl lunged, lashing out with a wide cut; Satsuki threw herself backwards to avoid it, the nail nicking the front of her jacket. Before she could recover the girl pivoted in a blur of motion and drove her foot into Satsuki's stomach, knocking her to the ground.

She rolled to the side as the girl's weapon sank into the earth beside her, sweeping her knife up towards the girl's face as she returned to her feet. Satsuki felt the tip pull as it grazed her cheek, and the girl flinched ever so slightly as the nothing covering the cut parted to reveal a thin line of skin. She rolled to her feet as the girl backed away, dabbing at her cheek with her index finger.

" _Save_ me?" Satsuki shouted. "You're trying to kill me!"

"I wouldn't let Satsuki Arima die. Not by that man's hands, or by Hideto Toyowara's, and never by my own, if I could help it."

Their blades met again as Satsuki charged her, weapons locking. "Are you even listening to yourself?!" There was the sound of metal scraping against metal as her knife was forced away. A quick jab caught her in the jaw, followed by a high kick, and she stumbled back onto one knee. "You're not..." She paused to blink away the cobwebs. "You're not making any sense."

"What are you?" the girl asked, staring down at Satsuki.

"What?"

"What are you?" she repeated, more insistently. "You know you're not completely human, but aside from that you're clueless. You've lived your entire life in willful ignorance of who and what your parents really are, and what you're capable of. Only now do you even have the smallest idea of what you've inherited."

Satsuki sprang forward, thrusting her knife at the girl's stomach. The girl leaned back and she swung it up, the tip passing by her foe's chin. Turning it between her fingers, she brought it around for a underhanded cut across the girl's throat only to have her block it mid-swing with the back of her arm, moving her hand around to tightly grasp Satsuki's wrist. As the girl's nail swung out towards her she twisted to the side, grabbing the girl's wrist in kind. There they struggled, each attempting to overpower or break free of the other.

"Satsuki Arima is the child of Shiki Nanaya and Arcueid Brunestud," the girl said, anger creeping into her voice. "I was there when she was born." Her arm jerked downward an inch as she attempted to drive her nail into Satsuki. "I knew she was capable of greater things, but I watched as _you_ chose to take everything you were given for granted."

With an inarticulate cry of fury Satsuki dug her sneakers into the ground and shoved, attempting to force the girl back. She gave only slightly, but it was enough for her to hop into the air, plant her foot on the girl's chest and shove off, freeing her from her grip and sending them both flying to the ground, Satsuki's landing being slightly more graceful than the girl's. She pushed herself up as the girl returned to her feet with a kippup, prepared to continue the attack when she noticed the smudged, oval-shaped hole in the nothing on her chest where her foot had made contact, black cloth and thin cracks barely visible through the haze.

Before she could capitalize on this the girl was upon her again, putting her on the defensive as she avoided what she could and blocked the all-too-numerous attacks that she couldn't, the girl shouting at her all the while. "Tell me: What have you done to earn your name?" She spun, the heel of her foot sweeping past Satsuki's field of vision. "Can you list even one thing? Were you even planning on making something of yourself once you became an adult?" The girl brought her fist forward as Satsuki swayed out of the way out of one of her attacks, catching her square in the face and sending her reeling again. "Have you even _bothered_ thinking that far ahead, or were you intentionally doing it just to spite your mother and father?"

Satsuki wiped at the blood trickling from her nose with the back of her hand. "What makes you think that you can talk about my father like that after what you did to him?"

"He would have killed me before I could save her, but I would never murder him."

She swung her arm down, red droplets falling onto the grass. "You liar! You attacked him! I saw it!"

"...and you saw me try to kill you in the hotel, didn't you?"

"How-"

"You confused dreams for reality," pointing her nail at her, "and when you ran off to save him you put me in a position to _make_ them reality. Even that man's appearance was an opportunity I couldn't pass up on."

Enraged, Satsuki charged and dropped to the ground, attempting to sweep the girl's legs out from underneath her. The girl evaded it with a quick hop and swung her nail down as Satsuki rose up again, catching it on the edge of her own weapon as she stood up. Forcing it away, she stepped towards the girl and drove her elbow into her face. As the girl flinched, Satsuki thrust her knife towards the girl's chest, feeling it slide into her. She looked down only to see that the girl caught the blade in her own arm, the tip still clean as it poked out the other side.

Satsuki pulled back, withdrawing her knife before she felt something cold and jagged tear into her flesh. Letting out a cry of pain she stumbled away, the girl seemingly content with watching her. She looked down as she touched her side with her free hand, coming up with a smear of blood from a wide, shallow cut in her left side.

"Who is Satsuki Arima?" the girl asked.

"Shut up!"

"Is it a name? A body? Memories? How they act?" She slowly turned the nail between her fingers. "If I had all of them, would I be Satsuki Arima? Could I save her from the fate she brought on herself, and her own apathy and ignorance?"

"So you want to kill me and take my place, is that it? You think people won't find out?"

The shade paused, relaxing her stance as she straightened up, and two hazy points of light appeared where her eyes would have been: The right a bright red, the left a deep blue. "Will they?"

Satsuki froze.

"What will they see? A brave child of hunters, finding and killing a rogue vampire, or a girl who lost her mind and went on a rampage?" The points of light seemed to narrow. "What did _you_ see? A stranger who nearly killed you, or a scapegoat for your wounds?"  
  
 _the flesh of her arm parted as the edge of the knife slid through it, the knife raised and moved up her arm, sinking into it again, parting her flesh yet another time, the tip raising and hovering over her eye, piercing the lens, sinking in, vision going black_  
  
The scars across Satsuki's body ached as the memory of that night returned to her. "You attacked my father!" she shouted. "Even if you kill me he's going to know it was you!"

"Is he?" She slowly and deliberately tapped her right temple near her eye. "Are you so sure that he didn't see some no-name vampire with something to prove? Father taught me how to fight, but you never realized how much you could learn from mother, did you? I'll be able to do something more permanent now that he's awake. He should not have to live with knowledge of what had to be done to save her daughter."

The girl's attack came without warning; unprepared, Satsuki raised her knife to block a split-second too late and was thrown off-balance from the force of the blow. She stumbled before a side kick connected with her fresh wound, sending a lance of pain shooting through her. "I kept hoping," the girl said, "that you would prove me wrong and you would show some promise, but no." She parried another of Satsuki's swings, her arm twisting to leave another cut on Satsuki's right shoulder. "Our family hunted demons and the undead and you couldn't even find them on your own without me telling you."

Satsuki lashed out with a wild overhead stab, but the girl caught the blade with her hand, staring at her with familiar mismatched eyes. "Why are you fighting now, of all times? Don't you know that there's no point in winning?" She shoved her away. "Do you want to go back to a life full of murders where all the evidence points directly to you?"

She lunged again with a stab aimed at the girl's chest. The girl deflected it away, and Satsuki ducked as the girl turned, her leg whipping overhead. The back-and-forth struggle continued with the girl bobbing and weaving past Satsuki's attacks, her own strikes coming closer to hitting home again.

"How could you prove your innocence?" As if to punctuate her question, the girl's nail raked across Satsuki's chest just above her heart. "You don't know, do you?" Two more swings followed as Satsuki backstepped out of their way, weaving to the side of another lunge, the girl seemingly overextending herself. As Satsuki turned to face her again, however, the girl crooked her arm, smashing her in the face with her elbow and sending her toppling to the ground. Turning the nail around in her fingers, the girl pounced, missing Satsuki by a hair's breadth as she rolled out of the way. "You should have given in when you had the chance. Satsuki Arima will live on, even if you don't."

"As what?" she demanded, unsteadily rising to her feet. "A murderer and a liar?"

"Killing to live is the nature of all life. How many lives do you think your father has taken? Or your mother, for that matter?" Their weapons met again and locked, the girl looming over Satsuki as she slowly forced her down. "...and what about Katsuya? If his sister had been elsewhere, how many of his servants would you have killed to ensure your safety?" Satsuki buckled, falling to one knee as her legs trembled beneath her. "Even your very body is a tool of destruction. This is what Satsuki Arima is, and you are too weak to accept it."

With one final shove the girl forced Satsuki onto her back, pinning her to the ground with her free hand as the nail shot towards her. Satsuki reached out to try and stop the girl as the nail came down, impaling her hand; she wrenched her arm to the side, pushing the nail away from her chest and letting out a strangled cry as it sank into her right shoulder, pinning her hand to her own body. Fighting through the throbbing pain, Satsuki raised her knife one last time, screaming in agony as she felt the flesh around the nail twist and rip, aiming for the girl's chest. Before she could react the knife hit home, and the girl shrieked as the blade pierced one of the cracks.

"If she can't be anything more than a murderer-" Satsuki dragged the knife along the cracks, blood oozing out of the cut and down her arm. "If that's all she is, then maybe she deserves to die!"

The girl shuddered, slumping forward as the colorless haze began to fade. She went to reach for the nail in Satsuki's shoulder to pull it free, only for her fingers to cleanly fall away. Straightening up and pulling free of Satsuki's knife, she stared emptily at the stump of her hand until her arm slid off with a wet, raw dripping sound. The last of the haze around her head parted, and Satsuki found _herself_ staring at back at her. "They'll kill you..." the girl mumbled, as a thin seam of blood appeared diagonally across her face. "They'll ki..." Her expression froze and she pitched forward onto Satsuki, falling apart into a heap of flesh, organs and blood-soaked cloth.

Satsuki spasmed as she was hit with a wave of pure agony, flesh twisting beneath her skin and brain burning. She writhed on the ground, soaked in gore, too in pain to even scream until finally, mercifully, she passed into unconsciousness.

\---

Her eyes fluttered open, and the first thing she saw was the starless night sky. The pain was gone; in its place was a dampness across her body where her scars were. As she slowly brought her hand up to her face she felt her sleeve peel away from her arm, leaving behind a thick, discolored line.

Her hand was unharmed; no wound, no scar. She let it fall back by her side, staring emptily into the darkness. It was over, and yet...

"I..."


	15. Chapter 12b

"Open the door," Cardinal Jacobson said. "I bear news for the Arch-Mediator."

The two members of the Swiss Guard flanking the reinforced door bowed and uttered a low "yes, Your Eminence" before stepping to either side. They took hold of the handles welded to the bars across the door and, with scraping of metal on metal, drew them aside. As one returned to his post the other took the door's handle and pulled it open, waiting as the Cardinal entered the room before closing it behind him.

The executive room of the Burial Agency was a prison cell; one that retained the opulence of the Vatican, but a prison cell nonetheless. It contained naught but a bed, a desk and two bookshelves - nothing but the barest necessities for its head to live and perform her duties and, more importantly, nothing that could be used to facilitate her escape should her homicidal urges rise to the forefront again. Fortunately for the Cardinal such urges seemed to be in remission, as the grey-haired woman in her early forties was standing casually by a window reinforced with metal bars and mesh, drinking tea.

"I knew you were coming," Narbareck said, holding up the cup as if that explained everything. "They serve a different brew whenever company is scheduled to come by." She turned to him and smiled. "I hope they know it doesn't quite mask the taste of the sedatives."

"Arch-Mediator Narbareck," the Cardinal began, "I bring news from-"

"Yes, yes, I already know," she interrupted. "Ciel is still alive, and so is the True Ancestor. Hardly unsurprising." She paused. "At least to me. You don't know them like I do. It's really quite amusing; it isn't that they _can't_ kill each other, it's that they _won't_."

"So you were aware that the Mediator you sent would not complete her mission."

"On the contrary!" Narbareck strode across the room set her cup and saucer down on her desk. "She accomplished precisely what I intended her to accomplish. Now..." She approached the Cardinal, and her voice took on a lecturing tone. "When a dog does something wrong, what do you do?"

"I would... presume that one would chain it up-"

"No! You rub their nose in it so they won't forget, and _that_ was Ciel's true mission. Now the True Ancestor knows she has done something wrong in giving birth to that vampire, she knows that good souls have died because of it, and regardless of her current feelings, she knows that her daughter must die, and she knows what we think of the matter: 'If you do not do it, someone else will.'" Narbareck fell silent before asking, "have you heard from the man we sent to Japan yet?"

"No, Arch-Mediator."

"Well, it doesn't matter. If he has succeeded, then there is no problem. She may get angry, she may cry, but the True Ancestor will never raise her hand against us, for in what passes for a heart for her she knows that we have done what she did not."

He waited for her to continue speaking. She didn't. "What if the unthinkable _has_ happened?"

"Oh, you mean if he died?" she asked. There was something entirely too casual for the Cardinal's tastes in how she said it. "If he has failed - somehow - then the True Ancestor will finish the job. If we are fortunate, perhaps filicide will encourage her to return from whence she came. If not, then we have shown that our judgment is sound - as it always is - and should we deign to ask for her assistance, she will come without question. She would not dare incur our wrath again." She cupped her chin, staring thoughtfully into space. "Then again, if she _does_ take leave of her senses and try to attack us directly she'd practically be turning herself in for execution. Even in a worst-case scenario where her attack reveals the presence of demons on earth to the people at large, all we would need to do is send an ultimatum to various heads of state telling them of our purpose and they'd practically be falling over themselves to serve God's kingdom on Earth and aid us in dealing with this newfound threat." She sighed wistfully. "Oh, if only. I've always wanted to lead a crusade."

She looked back down at the Cardinal before waving him away. "Thank you, you are dismissed." As he turned and departed, she took up her cup of tea again, returning to her spot in front of the window. "It's a pity that she is still useful to us," she murmured. "Especially after spending all that money on that warhead. There's always next time, I suppose..."

\---

With the chiming of the final bell the students left their classrooms, exiting the school grounds and heading for their homes, their jobs or other parts of town. One, however, slowed to a stop beside the gate, watching the others as they left the building. One of his classmates waved to him and he smiled, giving him a short farewell. As soon as he turned away, Takada's smile faded and he returned his attention to the school, keeping vigil until the stream of students tapered off into a trickle. Sighing, he passed through the gates, heading up the road towards his house.

The walk home was uneventful, and Takada followed the route almost without thinking, passing by the park, the apartment block, the small row of shops with the alley between them-

"Takada."

He stopped in front of the alley, turning towards the - her - voice.

Satsuki smiled weakly, and Takada couldn't help but notice how _worn out_ she looked: There were deep bags under her eyes, and her hair looked dull and flat. She was still wearing the jeans, tank top and jacket that she had on when he last saw her, but there were thin lines of blood soaked into them, and Takada knew it was her own.

He approached her, struggling to find the right words for a moment before exclaiming, "you just _left!_ "

"Takada-"

"Your clothes were gone, _everything_ of yours was gone! You just disappeared!"

"Takada, it..." She trailed off, bowing her head. "I'm sorry. I could've... I should've left a note, I know, but I just..."

"I didn't know what happened; I thought the vampire might have done something."

Satsuki raised her head. "No, it wasn't that. She's gone."

"She's dead?"

She nodded, looking away. "Yeah, and... and I just wanted things to go back to normal, just... start living in my own house again, and... and going to school." She forced a laugh, the distant sadness returning as soon as it left her lips. "But I can't. There's still some things I need to do."

He stared at her for a moment, and his expression hardened. "Satsuki, look at me."

She slowly turned her head up to face him.

"Don't do anything..." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Don't do anything you're going to regret, okay?"

She nodded again. "Okay."

"Promise me."

Satsuki's expression faltered for a second, and Takada's bag fell from his fingers as Satsuki slipped her arms around him and pulled him in, holding him close. She closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thank you, Takada."

She stepped away, smiling faintly before turning and sprinting down the alley behind her, disappearing around the corner. Takada scooped up his bag and gave chase, exiting the alley onto an empty street. He slid to a halt, searching for she could have gone and desperately trying to ignore the part of himself that wondered if he would ever see her again.

\---

Of all the things that had happened to Shiki, it spoke volumes that the least troubling of them was that he was found lying on the ground just outside the emergency room doors. He didn't know who brought him there or how, and while he was grateful, finding out who was responsible paled in light of his missing family. The last he heard of Arcueid was when she called before he was attacked; the hospital had called his home, but received no answer. Meanwhile, his daughter checked herself out two weeks ago and returned to visit him a few days before he woke up. If she wanted to return to finish what she started she had the means and opportunity, but didn't act on it for some reason known only to her.

After regaining consciousness, Shiki quickly found out that he could still walk, albeit with some trouble. The doctors, on the other hand, didn't consider an anemic man in his late thirties with a broken arm who just woke up after being beaten into a coma to be in any condition to be up and about. After his second attempt at leaving without their permission they moved him to a room with barred windows on the highest floor they could and posted an intern just outside his door to stand watch, warning him that he would be strapped down for his own good if need be. He gave in, only because he wished to be able to defend himself should the need arise. If nothing else, not being able to leave left him with a lot of time to lie in bed, stare out the window and think, though not about anything pleasant.

"Mister Tohno, you have a visitor."

The nurse's voice had scarcely registered with Shiki before Arcueid was upon him, hugging him so tightly he thought he'd break a rib. He pulled his good arm free, returning the hug in kind.

"I missed you," she said softly.

"I missed you too, Arcueid. Did something happen?"

"Ciel wanted to have a few words with me."

"How is she?"

"Fine. She's still with the Burial Agency." Arcueid pulled away, taking a seat on the edge of the bed beside her husband. "Some of the things she said, though... I didn't want to believe them, but but after seeing you..." She looked at him sadly. "Shiki, we need to talk. About Satsuki."

\---

Satsuki knew her father would find her, though she didn't make it difficult for him. She had practically left a note telling him that she would be waiting in the field on the outskirts of town, away from prying eyes. Knowing what she did about him, though, she suspected that he would have been able to track her down no matter what she did.

She spotted him from a distance as he approached, one arm still in a sling. He looked different somehow, something resolute or cold or distant in his expression. It could have been a trick of the light or weariness from being inactive for so long, or maybe he was always like that and she just didn't notice, having always seen him as something different.

For the first time she could remember - maybe the first time in her life - Satsuki was afraid of her father.

He came to a stop not more than twenty feet away from Satsuki, looking her over once before meeting her gaze. Satsuki immediately averted her eyes and, swallowing on a dry throat, held her arm out to the side, letting her knife fall from her hands.

"I'm not going to fight you, dad," she said. "I'm not going to run, and I'm not going to fight you. I just... I thought it would be better if it were someplace out of the way." She looked up at him and immediately looked away, cringing. "It shouldn't have come to this. Back when I had the chance, I should have- and now forcing you to do this, when I-" She squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Dad, I love you, I wouldn't hurt you, that- I know what you saw but it wasn't me, I swear, I would never hurt you, I- I found out who it was and stopped her. She's dead, and all the people she killed were... were..."

Satsuki fell to her knees, staring blankly at the ground. "It doesn't..." She laughed humorlessly. "I don't even believe what I'm saying. It doesn't matter anymore. There's just... just one more thing that needs to be done."

Resting her hands on her thighs, she bowed her head and closed her eyes. "Father," she said, her voice trembling, "please, make it quick... and tell mom that I'm sorry it had to end this way."


	16. Epilogue

The end didn't come quickly for Satsuki Arima.

There was time enough to think about what had happened; to wonder if she could have seen the signs in advance, to think of ways things could have been different, to regret the outcome and wish that it had never happened. She was never one to linger on what could have been, but now, in her final moments, she was doing nothing but.

"Satsuki."

She shivered as a cold breeze blew past, and she found herself trying to force her arms to stop shaking long after it was gone. She balled her fists, forcing down the fear. Just one quick cut and it would all be over.

"Please, look at me."

Ultimately, the end never came.

Opening her eyes, she slowly raised her head as Shiki knelt down in front of her, holding out his good hand with a reassuring smile. "Let's go home, Satsuki. There's a lot that your mother and I have been meaning to tell you."

Satsuki stared at him for a moment, uncomprehending. Tears welled up in her eyes as she slowly shook her head in disbelief, and a second later she burst into tears. Lunging, she clutched her father, sobbing uncontrollably as she buried her face in his chest.

Shiki gently put his arm around his daughter, comforting her. "It's okay, Satsuki," he said softly. "It's okay. Everything is going to be all right."


End file.
